TUCSON — Far fewer migrants are crossing the Arizona-Mexico border, but the number dying in the Sonoran Desert has not fallen nearly as fast, KNAU reported.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data show encounters in the Tucson and Yuma sectors dropped about 61% from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2026, after an 88% drop the year before.
Meanwhile, the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner and the Tucson aid group Humane Borders have recorded 89 sets of migrant remains so far this year, compared with 102 in all of 2025. July’s count of 19 was the highest for that month in two years. Officials note remains are often found months after a death, so yearly totals don’t line up exactly with when people died.
“The amount of people crossing has significantly decreased,” said Joel Smith, operations manager for Humane Borders, which maintains water stations in remote desert areas. Aid workers say those who still attempt the journey may be taking greater risks.
Sources: KNAU. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Alvaro qc / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
