Border chief provides update on influx of migrants crossing into the Yuma Sector
13 On Your Side's Cody Lee was one of journalists part of the Chief's roundtable discussion
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma Sector Border Patrol chief agent Chris Clem spoke to journalists Thursday afternoon providing an update on what’s happening along the U.S. Mexico Border. Clem told us, since the beginning of the year, the sector has seen upwards of 500 people a day crossing the border; on low days agents process as many as 200.
Clem also revealed the Yuma Sector is in the third spot when it comes to asylum seekers crossing into our country. The Rio Grande Valley and Del Rio sectors in Texas are among the top two.
Just overnight alone agents apprehended close to 170 undocumented immigrants were found in the San Luis area. U.S. Border Patrol says that’s uncommon since 80% of migrants are coming thru the Rio Colorado area.
During the first part of this month, on average, 450 migrants are being processed per day. Vinny Dulesky, Yuma Sector's special operations supervisor, tells us that's an increase from last month.
“What we've been seeing is, even though we're increasing the ramp-up isn't as great, so you know and from February to March where we were seeing hundreds and hundreds and hundreds. Now the ramp-up is only like 20 or 30. The difference between last month and this month,” Dulesky explained.
Chief Clem told us agents are mostly encountering families and young adults.
Furthermore, since October 2020, Yuma agents have recovered eight bodies of undocumented immigrants who died while crossing the border. That's up from 300 percent compared to the last fiscal year.
As far as Title 42 apprehensions, it only makes up roughly 15% of total encounters.
“Title 8 is different than Title 42 in that Title 42 that's where you're looking out for more the safety of the nation so those individuals that Mexico will take, and that we can release right away. We will go ahead and do that in the name of the safety,” Dulesky said.
