Arizona Border Patrol agents continue to encounter and arrest large group of immigrants attempting to enter the United States illegally. They apprehended more than 1,200 individuals over the past three months, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Over the past two days alone, Border Patrol agents assigned at the Ajo Station arrested two large groups at the western part of the Lukeville Port of Entry. They discovered the first group composed of 164 people on Tuesday afternoon. They encountered the second group of 100 individuals on Wednesday.
Both groups were composed of family units and unaccompanied minors from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Their ages range from 11 months to 59 years old.
Last week, Border Patrol agents assigned at the Yuma Sector arrested a total of 275 people, most of them surrendered after entering the U.S. illegally. The immigrants came from eight different countries. Majority of them (215) came from Guatemala.
According to CBP, 21 of the immigrants were brought to the hospital. Some of them have back and ankle injuries, lacerations. Others are suffering from lice infestation and impetigo, a very contagious skin infection that mainly affects infants and children.
A daily crisis taking resources from border security mission
In a statement, Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony Porvaznik, said, “This daily crisis is taking manpower and resources from our border security mission and compelling us to redistribute them to a humanitarian mission.”
