Large Migrant Groups Surge Through Arizona Border Wall Gaps

Randy ClarkNovember 16, 2021

Border Patrol agents in Yuma are encountering sizeable groups of migrants entering the United States illegally through gaps in border walls. More than 300 were apprehended in two large groups over a two-day period. On Monday, more than 200 migrants breached a border wall gap in a single event. On Sunday, 112 were apprehended at the same location.

According to the Border Patrol, the Yuma Sector has apprehended more than 850 migrants each day since Friday. The sector is firmly in third place behind Del Rio and the Rio Grande Valley in migrant apprehensions this fiscal year.

On Monday, Customs and Border Protection released arrest data showing October 2021 was the busiest October in the agency’s history. More than 21,000 migrants of the 158,575 apprehended along the southwest border were encountered near Yuma.

The statistics show Yuma’s apprehension increase in October 2021 is 2,647 percent over October 2020. According to CBP, Yuma is closely trailing the Del Rio Sector by a mere 6,488 apprehensions for the month.

According to a source within CBP, the Border Patrol apprehended more than 200,000 migrants since October 1, 2021, which marked the beginning of Fiscal Year 2022. The source says internal predictions currently show more than 1.8 million migrant arrests for the new fiscal year.

Despite significant investments in border infrastructure and technology in Yuma in years past, the lack of consequences faced by the migrants upon apprehension have reduced the impacts of the investments.

The Border Patrol, tasked with transporting, processing and providing humanitarian care for migrants, is now forced to spend less time in the field. This has resulted in the rising count of single adult migrants who are eluding apprehension.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.