Monsoons in Southern Arizona keeping border open to illegal crossings

(KYMA, KECY/ NBC News) - Southern Arizona is seeing one of its wettest months in years, which is causing trouble at several parts of the southern border.

The heavy rains have caused debris to pile up on the border fence, making it impossible to close, prompting many people to illegally cross over the border.

The local Sheriff's Department says they see around seven illegal entries on their cameras every single hour but county officials say closing the gates and letting debris pile up there could cause problems with private properties in the area.

The monsoon rains have also washed away roads and damaged bridges, making the area even harder to patrol.

"As a result of making our southwest border a physical barrier where it's not completed. Now the monsoon has capitalized on that. We don't have roads, we don't have bridges completed," said Cochise Sheriff Mark Dannels. "It's a mess, it truly is. Ever since we've stopped the physical barrier, the security on the border here, it's become... wide open.."

Sheriff Dannels says the monsoon rains have made it easier to cross on several different parts of the border wall.