Migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border have continued to surge due to extreme heat and harsher border enforcement policies that have forced asylum seekers to cross through more remote and dangerous regions. In Arizona, officials warn this year is likely to set another dire record of migrant deaths in the Sonoran Desert as humanitarian aid workers are repeatedly targeted by border agents. This is Pima County Medical Examiner Gregory Hess.

Dr. Gregory Hess: “Last year, in 2023, I think we recovered about 190-some total remains. This year, we’re basically on the same pace as we were last year. We always get more remains in the summer. So, I think we’ve recovered about 105 remains so far this year, and probably half of those have been in the last two months.”