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Border and Immigration

Arizona state Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, said that in 30 years of living near the border, he has not seen immigration as bad as he says it is today. Gowan was in Washington to meet with federal lawmakers on the issue.

Gowan, other officials go to Washington to plead for border action

Nov 10, 2023 The event comes at a time when migrant encounters at the southern border have reached historic highs.

Environmental groups raise concerns over proposed border road impact on endangered jaguars and critical habitat

Nov 8, 2023 Environmental groups say they want no new construction, in response to a proposed border road and its potential impact on endangered jaguars and other endangered and threatened species.

School bus driver charged for allegedly smuggling migrants

Nov 7, 2023 Border Patrol agents arrested a school bus driver last week accused of using a school bus to pick up unauthorized migrants.
Border Patrol processing migrants who crossed the border outside of Lukeville, Arizona, in May 2023.

Tucson Sector rescues increase greatly due to large groups crossing in remote areas

Oct 26, 2023 Fiscal year 2023 data show that Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector saw an eightfold increase in rescues from the previous year
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels speaks at a press conference in Sierra Vista on Oct. 24, 2023.

Dozens of additional law enforcement officers head to Cochise County to deal with border-related crimes

Oct 25, 2023 The Cochise County Sheriff's Office will use state funding to partner with law enforcement agencies throughout the state to increase patrols in the county to manage human smuggling incidents and other border-related crimes.
Border Patrol agents process a group of nearly 250 migrants in Ajo, Arizona, on Wednesday, May 10.

Number of families coming to the border in 2023 grew, especially in Tucson region

Oct 23, 2023 In the 2023 fiscal year, Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector saw a surge in apprehensions of migrant families, as border officials across the nation apprehended more than 3.2 million unauthorized migrants, according to recently released federal data.
Book Cover for "My Life in the Sunshine" by Nail Ayers.

NPR's Steve Inskeep on Abraham Lincoln

Oct 13, 2023 Also on Arizona Spotlight: The Chinese Chorizo Festival returns to Tucson; A conversation with Nabil Ayers on his debut novel; And, a look into this year's Film Fest Tucson.
Since the year 2000, the Pima County Medical Examiner has received nearly 4,000 sets of human remains from people who died crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Arizona. Here, a cross marking the place where a man in his 30s died in 2009 lays a few hundred yards from one of the water stations the nonprofit Humane Borders sets out for migrants crossing the desert.

Pima County and UA collaborate with other border states to create comprehensive database of migrant deaths across U.S.-Mexico border

Oct 11, 2023 Tucson officials and academics are partnering with researchers from various border regions to establish a comprehensive database tracking migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border, aiming to better understand and address the issue.
The UA School of Theatre, Film & Television's 2023 production of "The Laramie Project".

Remembering Matthew Shepard 25 years later.

Oct 5, 2023 Also on Arizona Spotlight: True Concord Voices & Orchestra celebrates their 20th season with "Songs of America" featuring the work of Raven Chacon; and, Stories the Soar!
Border Patrol agents patrol along a line of shipping containers stacked near the border Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, near Yuma, Ariz.

Arizona border wall lawsuits dismissed, paving the way for environmental restoration

Oct 5, 2023 From legal resolution to environmental revival: Arizona's next chapter
The port of entry in Douglas, Arizona in April 2016.

Migrants camp at Agua Prieta port hoping to claim asylum

Sep 28, 2023 At the port of entry south of Douglas, Arizona, about 100 migrants, mostly families, camp on the sidewalk with air mattress and thin blankets after fleeing violence-stricken parts of Mexico.
Border Patrol process migrants near Lukeville on May 10, 2023.

Tucson Sector still busiest in the nation for migrant apprehensions

Sep 25, 2023 In August, Border Patrol's Tucson Sector saw a 16-year high with nearly 49,000 unauthorized migrants apprehended.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and other elected officials and law enforcement talk to reporters on Thursday, Sept. 14 about Border Patrol releasing migrants without services on the street in Bisbee and Douglas.

Border Patrol release more than 230 migrants in Cochise County as overcapacity continues

Sep 15, 2023 NGOs in Bisbee and Douglas stand up basic services to keep migrant families from waiting in the street for transportation.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels sits for an interview at his office in Bisbee on April 20, 2021.

Border officials release migrants on streets of Cochise due to over-capacity

Sep 14, 2023 The Tucson Sector is experiencing a significant increase in migrant crossings, with officials reportedly leaving migrants on the street Cochise County after processing due to capacity issues.
Two children color at Casa Alitas' shelter for migrants and asylum-seeking families on Sept. 30, 2019.

Pima County officials concerned as asylum seeker surge continues, funding dwindles

Sep 12, 2023 Pima County officials express growing concern as the influx of asylum seekers continues while federal funding decreases, raising fears of potential street releases due to funding shortages by May.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema talks to reporters in Tucson on Sept. 8, 2023.

Tucson migrant aid groups tell Sinema: Federal funding insufficient

Sep 8, 2023 Migrant aide workers from Tucson and throughout Arizona met with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Friday to discuss funding issues to assist the ongoing multitude of migrants coming through the southern border.

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