Runaway immigrant crisis in Yuma, Ariz.

The border city of Yuma, Ariz. is in a critical situation due to the high number of illegal immigrants entering the city each day. Authorities fear a health crisis and warn about the number of immigrants entering through the area.

According to official records, Yuma, located in the southwestern corner of Arizona, has about 100,000 inhabitants. Due to the border crisis, some 6,000 immigrants enter from Mexico every week, which results in a 6% increase in its population every seven days.

While many of the migrants are just passing through the city, local authorities are concerned about the number of fugitives entering the city. "The average for Yuma on weekly basis is 6,000 people coming across. Of those 6,000, we have 1,000-2,000 runaways, people who we have not been able to catch," Jonathan Lines, county supervisor, told Fox News.

Border detentions and deaths

Yuma currently has the third highest number of arrests for migrant encounters from Mexico behind only El Paso and Del Rio, Texas. According to Border Patrol, during October and November 2022, more than 409,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended illegally crossing the border. It is estimated that at least 140,000 others managed to bypass the checkpoints and enter the country unnoticed.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded a total of 880 illegal immigrant deaths at the southern border last fiscal year. This is the highest figure since data began to be published in 1998.