Remote Desert Region Becomes Arrival Point for Migrants

Organ Pipe National Monument, Arizona — A remote desert region along the southern border has become a makeshift international arrivals area for thousands of migrants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America hoping to work and reunite with family members in the U.S.

Large groups of migrant men, women, and some families with children have recently gathered in a makeshift staging ground in this rugged section of the U.S.-Mexico border. They are waiting for overtaxed border officials to process them. Due to limited resources and manpower, local Border Patrol agents are unable to screen everyone in a timely manner, leading many to expect release into the U.S. after being vetted.

The majority of migrant men come from African countries such as Guinea, Mauritania, Morocco, and Senegal. There are also men from Asian nations like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Syria. Some men have left their hometowns in Ecuador and other parts of Latin America. Families traveling with children are predominantly Mexican and Central American.

The migrants set up fires at night and in the early morning hours to keep warm amid dropping temperatures. Many of them brought blankets to sleep next to the border wall. Without restrooms, they relieved themselves near the cacti that adorn the picturesque landscape of this national monument, located two hours away from the closest U.S. city.

The wait to be processed was so long in recent days that Mexican families and merchants traveled regularly to the staging ground to sell drinks and food, hoping to convince the desperate newcomers to buy their burritos, tamales and cups of coffee from the other side of the border wall.

Daniela Segura Salgado, 31, spent the night near the border wall with her four young children: a 1-year-old baby, her 3- and 9-year-old girls and an 11-year-old boy. The Mexican mother shivered as she carried her youngest, who was covered by blankets.

"We didn't sleep like we should," Segura Salgado said in Spanish, referencing the dropping temperatures overnight. "But sleep would win me over at times because I'm really tired from a lot of walking with my children. My son in my arms and my daughter up on my shoulders."

The chaotic and striking scenes at the outdoor staging area in the middle of the Arizona desert illustrate the dire humanitarian implications of the crisis along the southern border, where migrants have been arriving in greater numbers and from more countries than ever before in U.S. history.

Border Patrol Apprehends Over 2 Million Migrants in Fiscal Year 2023

Breaking historical seasonal trends, the number of illegal border crossings in the United States has surged, with Border Patrol apprehending more than 2 million migrants who entered the country illegally in fiscal year 2023. According to internal government data obtained by CBS News, the past few days have seen near-record levels of migrant processing, with approximately 10,000 apprehensions occurring every 24 hours. This is a significant increase from the daily average of 6,000 in October.

"I've been working in this sector of the border for almost 20 years, and we've never seen anything like this," said Dan Abbott, a local volunteer with the group Humane Borders. The organization distributes water and food inside the Organ Pipe National Monument in an effort to prevent migrants from perishing in the dangerous terrain.

"Something Better"

Among the migrants apprehended, African and Ecuadorian men shared their stories of embarking on arduous journeys across Latin America in search of better opportunities in the United States. They cited the deteriorating economic and security conditions in their home countries as the driving force behind their decision to migrate. Many mentioned having family members in states such as New York and Texas.

It is important to note that economic misfortune and a desire to reunite with relatives are not grounds for U.S. asylum. Asylum can only be granted to migrants fleeing persecution based on specific factors such as their race, religion, or political views.

Over the past few years, however, the U.S. asylum system has become a proxy process for migrants to stay and work in America, irrespective of whether they have valid claims or not. A mounting backlog of roughly 3 million pending cases has crippled the federal immigration court system's ability to adjudicate claims in a timely fashion.

Most migrants are not screened for asylum at the southern border anyway, federal statistics show, since the government does not have sufficient asylum officers, holding facilities and other resources to interview asylum-seekers under a process known as expedited removal. Consequently, most of those who are not deported are generally released with court cases that typically take years to complete.

Some migrants braving the elements in the Arizona desert said they were escaping dangerous situations.

Segura Salgado, the migrant mother from Mexico, said she came to the U.S. due to the violence in the Mexican state of Guerrero, a region plagued by violent crime and drug trafficking. She said a relative was recently killed there.

"I am fighting as much as I can so my children can have something better. A warm bed where they can sleep without having to hear a gunshot," Segura Salgado said.

A daily battle against smugglers 

The spike in migrant crossings comes as Congress debates an overhaul of the asylum system.

Republicans Demand Sweeping Asylum Restrictions Amidst Border Crisis

Republicans have seized upon the unprecedented levels of border crossings to push for significant asylum restrictions as part of ongoing negotiations surrounding President Biden's multi-billion-dollar national security funding request. This funding request includes aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. GOP lawmakers have made it clear that they will only support additional assistance to Ukraine if the bill includes the desired asylum restrictions.

This dynamic has the potential to pave the way for the first major overhaul of the U.S. immigration system since 1996. However, previous attempts at immigration reform over the past two decades have often met with failure, leaving the outcome of these talks uncertain.

Over the past year, the Biden administration has been working to address the issue of migration at the southern border through a strategy that combines stricter asylum rules for those who enter the country illegally with expanded channels for legal migration. This includes the launch of an app that allows migrants to schedule appointments for processing at ports of entry.

While this strategy was initially successful in reducing illegal border crossings to a two-year low in June, unauthorized migration has since surged, causing frustration among both Republican lawmakers and Democrats in communities grappling with the influx of new arrivals, such as New York City and Chicago.

In response, Customs and Border Protection has announced that it is deploying additional staff and resources to the Arizona desert and targeting transportation companies used by smuggling organizations near the U.S. border.

Border Patrol Agents Battle Against Smuggling Organizations

Every day, Border Patrol agents face the challenge of combating smuggling organizations along the border. In the Organ Pipe National Monument, the movement of migrants is far from organic. Instead, it is orchestrated by a network of smugglers in Mexico who strategically cut parts of the border wall to allow groups of migrants to enter the United States.

During one incident, a suspected smuggler was caught on camera exclaiming, "They're filming!" before fleeing and disappearing across a nearby Mexican highway. This scenario is not uncommon, as border agents and contractors are constantly repairing breaches in the wall. However, they struggle to keep up with the persistent efforts of the smugglers.

Adjacent to the recently breached section of the wall, there was a bollard with a label indicating that it had been repaired earlier in the day. This serves as a reminder of the ongoing battle between border security and smuggling organizations.