tucsoncitizen.com
Twice as many illegal immigrants were apprehended in Arizona last month than in October 2001, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Of the 25,050 immigrants nabbed by agents in Arizona during October 2002, 21,352 were in the Tucson sector.
"This is the busiest sector in the nation," said Rob Daniels, Border Patrol spokesman in Tucson.
And it's getting busier, with smugglers circumventing increased security in San Diego and El Paso.
"As the smugglers try to respond by going elsewhere, we're smack dab in the middle here," Daniels said.
The number of apprehensions statewide is up more than 10,000 from the previous year - although activists on both sides of the immigration issue doubt the validity of the agency's statistics.
In Yuma, Border Patrol spokesman Michael McGlasson said October 2002's apprehensions are up 134 percent from the previous year there.
"If more are getting apprehended, more are coming," he said. "There's no way we would drop to nearly half (the previous year) if there was the same number coming in."
Posted by Suzanne at November 29, 2002