(The Center Square)– The Tucson Sector continues to struggle with an influx of migrants as 2024 could mark a new chapter in Arizona’s border crisis.
The sector Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday that there were 16,800 apprehensions this week alone.
Modlin also said there were 22 rescues, as well as 104 “federal criminal cases.”
However, those numbers were slightly lower compared to weeks prior. There were 19,400 apprehensions the week of Dec. 22, 18,400 the week of Dec. 16, 18,900 the week of Dec. 8, and 17,500 the week of Dec. 1.
Modlin also posted a chart comparing the apprehension figures to last year, which paints a stunning picture about the radical difference.
Although weekly apprehensions statistics from October to December of last year would regularly go over 5,000, they never came close to the numbers at the border now. In 2022, there were 3,700 apprehensions this same week, a 13,100 difference compared with 2023.
The strain on authorities prompted Customs and Border Protection to shut down the Lukeville Port of Entry, a legal crossing used to get to the tourist city of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico earlier in December. The Center Square documented the reaction, including Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs ultimately deciding to deploy National Guard troops to assist in the area.
“With this Executive Order, I am taking action where the federal government won’t. But we can’t stand alone, Arizona needs resources and manpower to reopen the Lukeville crossing, manage the flow of migrants, and maintain a secure, orderly and humane border. Despite continued requests for assistance, the Biden administration has refused to deliver desperately needed resources to Arizona’s border,” Hobbs said in a statement at the time.
However, 12 News reported that the troops will not be deployed until 2024, despite the order coming on Dec. 15.
