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Illegal immigrants: Apprehensions dip here, soar near Yuma

Increase in agents, planes credited for migrant downturn

ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
The Associated Press

GARY GAYNOR/Tucson Citizen

Border Patrol supervisor Vince Hampel checks tracks near two abandoned bicycles in the Three Points area. In more than four hours of searching and listening to patrol radio traffic, three agents found no illegal immigrants in distress in the 112-degree heat.
GARY GAYNOR/Tucson Citizen

Border Patrol supervisor Vince Hampel and agent Julie Gallagher cross a fence following tracks that could lead to illegal immigrants in the Three Points area.
Apprehensions of illegal immigrants in the Border Patrol's Tucson sector, the nation's busiest, have dipped nearly 8 percent so far this fiscal year. But in the Yuma sector, they have risen 56 percent over last year.

And as temperatures spiked this week to 110, the number of migrant deaths was holding steady at 71.

The Tucson sector's downturn began in March, typically the busiest month for arrests of illegal immigrants in the sector. Apprehensions averaged 2,050 a day versus 2,324 daily for the same month a year earlier.

Patrol spokesman Luis Garza attributed the falloff in Tucson sector arrests to a continuing buildup of agents and resources, particularly aircraft flying over large stretches of inhospitable desert in western reaches of the Mexico-Arizona border.

Nationally, apprehensions are up, reports last week indicated. As of June 16, agents had made 844,300 arrests of people illegally entering the country from Mexico, said Mario Villarreal, spokesman for the Border Patrol in Washington, D.C. Last year's figure at that time was 830,460.

Federal officials in March said the number of aircraft used to patrol the Arizona-Mexico border would rise to 42 from 19.

"We have air coverage in that area day in and day out," Garza said. "The helicopters are spotting vehicular traffic coming in." And many smuggler-led immigrants are thought to be heading elsewhere, such as farther west into the Yuma sector.

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In addition to 200 permanent agents added last year, mostly to patrol in or near the Tohono O'odham Nation, another 200 veteran agents were added temporarily this spring, 155 more veterans will transfer permanently to Arizona this year, and another 379 new agents have been hired, but some are not yet in training.

What's more, in Yuma, 223 more agents are being permanently assigned - 50 senior and supervisory agents from other areas and 173 new agents through November. In all, the Tucson and Yuma sectors together will have about 3,000 agents with the new forces.

The Tucson sector's apprehension drop-off has continued since March. As of Monday, totals were down 28,349 for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 from the same period a year earlier.

Compared to the same months in 2004, apprehensions in April averaged 395 fewer a day, those in May were 398 fewer daily and so far this month, they are 294 fewer per day.

VAL CAÑEZ/Tucson Citizen

Border agent Julie Gallagher walks by abandoned clothing as she follows tracks that could lead to illegal immigrants in the Three Points area.
The number of migrant deaths in the sector stood at 77 for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1 - identical for the comparable period in the previous fiscal year, Garza said.

Border Patrol agents found the two latest bodies Friday, when area temperatures reached about 103 degrees. A man was found lying on a trail on the Tohono O'odham Nation and another along a trail near Silver Bell. Both appeared to be heat-related deaths, Garza said. No further information was available on either person.

DESERT TEMPS

Temperatures yesterday in the Three Points area, about 21 miles west of Tucson.

Time: Temperature

9:30 a.m.: 102

10:30 a.m.: 105

11:30 a.m.: 108

12:30 p.m.: 112