In December 2002, 11,481 migrants were apprehended in the Tucson sector, which covers all of the border in Arizona except a small portion near Yuma. That number climbed to 26,823 in January 2003, Adame said.
County continues to set sector's pace
Of the 17,251 illegal immigrants apprehended last month (Dec. '03), 9,634 were taken into custody by agents at the three stations in Cochise County, Adame said Friday.
In December 2002, 11,481 illegal immigrants were apprehended sectorwide, of which 5,202 were taken into custody in Cochise County.
Immigration overhaul's effects on desert deaths unclear
That led to increased crossings, apprehensions and deaths. Most of the fatalities in Arizona are blamed on the heat -- often in the triple digits -- that migrants must endure during desert crossings.
"From what I've read and seen, it's not going to stop illegal immigration as we know it," said Ray Borane, mayor of Douglas, a border community that has often borne the brunt of the illegal immigrant wave. "The system will continue to work where employers on this side will not jump through all those hoops and will continue to encourage people to come over illegally."
2004 Entrant surge is under way
Consider:
On New Year's Eve, agents captured 438 illegal entrants. On Wednesday, they captured 702.
"We're starting to see an increase already," agency spokesman Andy Adame said.
They come by bus, foot and train, but hundreds more simply fly in, using planes like the full-sized Airbus A-320 Silva rode to cut the trip from days to hours, Mexicana Airlines Hermosillo station manager Jorge Carrillos said.