An ongoing heatwave impacting much of the nation and the swift-moving currents of the Rio Grande proved deadly for migrants attempting to enter the United States during the month of July. According to a source within Customs and Border Protection, 125 migrants perished attempting to cross the U.S. southwest border in July.
The Border Patrol recorded 37 migrant deaths during the month of July in the El Paso Sector. Most of the deaths, according to the source, involved heat-related injuries. The total migrant deaths in July for the El Paso, Tucson, and Del Rio Border Patrol Sectors averaged more than 3 per day.
Temperatures in certain parts of the southwest remained more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit for weeks. In Arizona, temperatures spiked above 110 degrees for more than 30 consecutive days. The record-breaking heat contributed to 36 migrant deaths in the Tucson Sector alone, according to the source. The Arizona Border Patrol sector recorded the second-highest total for migrant recoveries in July.
