Extensive medical checks for migrants once apprehended

As the number of migrants crossing the Yuma Sector continues to skyrocket, exceeding more than 30,000 in the fiscal year 2018, each person is required to go through medical processing.

“They receive a 100% screening by our contracted medical staff. So once they arrived an individual will look over you, to make sure you don’t have any immediate necessity to go to the hospital,” said Border Patrol agent, Jose Garibay.

Although officials said there has not been a disease outbreak tied to the influx of migrants in the Yuma area, Border Patrol agents and county partners like the Yuma Regional Medical Center are working together to prevent one from ever happening.

“It’s an initial overlook, making sure there do not have outward rashes. We ask questions like if you have any communal diseases and to ensure they have nothing that can spread to the rest of the population here in the area,” said Garibay.

If there is an immediate necessity, migrants are moved to Yuma Regional Medical Center for a more in-depth medical check. Agent Gairbay also spoke on the recent case the Yuma Sector was involved with relating to an outbreak of scabies in the cells.

“We actually had to quarantine that area away from everybody else, so that specific area was offline to put others in there. So that put a strain on the system that is already strained in compacity,” said Garibay.