YUMA — The remains of 12 migrants were found in Arizona’s desert in October, an unusually high number for that time of year, according to the humanitarian group Humane Borders, AZFamily reported.
The group said federal agencies declined to renew permits for 12 of its water stations, ending a 25-year partnership. The stations had been on land managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, executive director Octavio Fuentes said.
Fuentes said it is too early to know whether removing the stations contributed to any deaths. He said 10 of the remains found in October were six to eight months old, and the most recent was about five weeks old.
“When I saw the number of 12, it was anomalous because usually October isn’t as high,” Fuentes told AZFamily. The highest monthly totals usually come in June and July because of the heat, he said.
Humane Borders has counted the remains of 101 migrants so far this year, including 38 on federal land, Fuentes said. July had the most, with 19.
A petition asking federal agencies to restore the permits has gathered more than 1,000 signatures, according to the group. Humane Borders said 70% of its water stations are still operating in other parts of the desert.
Sources: AZFamily. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: BLMArizona / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
