SASABE, Ariz. (KGUN) — About 15 miles east of Sasabe, on the steep hillsides that run along the border wall, humanitarian aid group volunteers say more migrants are arriving than they have seen in recent years.
“Sometimes when it’s an easy day it’s like 200 people, but most of the days are 500 [people] and over,” said Dora Rodriguez, a migrant rights activist who works with different groups including Salvavision.
On Wednesday, volunteers from other groups such as the Tucson Samaritans and No More Deaths handed out water, granola bars oranges and eggs to migrants.
Rodriguez says not only are they seeing more migrants in the area since Title 42 expired in May, but also more often families with children. And people coming from new places.
“I’ve been doing this for years,” said Rodriguez. “And I have not seen people from these countries in our area.”
In Wednesday’s group, people said they were from African countries like Sudan and Chad.
Two from Syria spoke with KGUN 9 in Spanish. They say they came through Central America by bus and on foot in order to flee a war and bad economy in their country. They say they are seeking a better life in the U.S., headed for family in Florida and New Hampshire.
Rodriguez believes the Lukeville Port of Entry closure is forcing smugglers to push more people into this area.
She says Border Patrol needs to send more resources to process the migrants. Many are left to wait or walk along the steep hillsides toward the processing center more than 10 miles away.
“This is a humanitarian crisis,” said Rodriguez. “And we have to respond with a humanitarian piece that is missing.”
Volunteers also set up a nearby camp with food and makeshift shelters along the wall less than a week ago, knowing many will have to stay in the area overnight.
Customs and Border Protection sent KGUN two statements this week responding to the situation near Sasabe and the border in general:
“The encounter levels we are currently seeing across the southwest border are presenting a serious challenge to the men and women of CBP. To meet this challenge, we are using all available resources to ensure the safety and security of our agents and officers, and the migrants who are often misled and victimized by the transnational criminal organizations. These smugglers are recklessly putting migrants into harm’s way: in remote locations across the border, onto the tops of trains, or into the waters of the Rio Grande. We continue to go after the smugglers and are implementing new measures to impose consequences on transportation companies including bus and van lines used by smuggling organizations and nefarious actors to move migrants through northern Mexico and to our southwest border. CBP and our federal partners need additional funding from Congress so that we can continue to effectuate consequences for those who do not use the established pathways.”
Troy A. Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection
CBP’s message for anyone who is thinking of entering the United States illegally along the Southern border is simple: don’t do it. CBP is committed to preventing the loss of life among migrants attempting to enter the United States. However, when migrants cross the border illegally, they put their lives in peril. The terrain along the border is extreme and the miles of desert migrants must hike after crossing the border in many areas are unforgiving. People who made the decision to journey into this territory have died of dehydration, starvation, drowning, and heat stroke. Smugglers continue to lie to migrants, claiming the borders are open. The borders are not open to irregular migration, and people should not attempt to make the dangerous journey.
Customs and Border Protection