LUKEVILLE, Arizona — A single group of nearly 300 migrants walked through gates in the border wall welded open by the Biden administration west of Lukeville on Labor Day morning. The migrants eventually surrendered to Border Patrol agents at a nearby rally point. Breitbart Texas posted along the border in the small town and observed as Border Patrol agents prepared the migrants for transport to a Border Patrol processing center.
A sign warns of the dangers of encountering human smugglers and migrants crossing from Mexico and marching through the desert. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
The large group consisted of migrants from a host of different countries including Venezuela, Nicaragua, the Peoples Republic of China, and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
According to a source within CBP, not authorized to speak to the media, the Lukeville area is one of the busiest crossing points in the Tucson Border Patrol sector for migrants from outside our hemisphere. These are labeled by the Department of Homeland Security Special Interest Aliens and include those from China and Mauritania. The migrants in Monday’s large group were detained by the Border Patrol at a rallying point on Puerto Blanco Drive near the Lukeville Port of Entry leading into Sonoyta, Mexico.
Migrants from the People’s Republic of China and Several African Nations are guarded by Border Patrol agents as they await transport. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
Breitbart Texas observed heavily armed Mexican National Guard soldiers and State Police patrolling the border fence along the southern side of the border. The soldiers and law enforcement officers appear to be having little impact on the number of migrants crossing into the United States, according to Border Patrol agents in the area.
Mexican National Guard and state police stand by on the southern side of the border barrier. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
The CBP source says flood gates in the border wall, opened annually due to the monsoon season, allow the migrants to walk freely into the United States with little resistance. Those gates will be welded shut soon as the season normally ends in mid-September. The source says the problem of migrant crossings in the area will not end once the gates are shut as migrant smugglers often cut the gates open or breach the border wall in other areas daily.
Breitbart Texas observed trash and debris on both sides of the border wall at one of the heaviest migrant crossing areas. In Mexico, the debris incudes discarded identity documents purposely left behind by the migrants as they enter the United States. Often, travel documents issued by Mexico’s National Institute of Migration are left behind to conceal the migrant’s travel pattern and identity according to the CBP source.
Acres of garbage were found littered along the Arizona border wall near Lukeville, Arizona. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
The processing of large groups of migrants surrendering, according to the source, is impacting routine patrols and is contributing to a rise in migrants who avoid capture. As reported by Breitbart Texas, 590,00 migrants have eluded apprehension and are labeled by the Border Patrol as “got-aways”.
In August, Border Patrol Agents in the Tucson sector apprehended nearly 49,000 migrants according to unofficial reports reviewed by Breitbart Texas. The Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector led the nation in migrant encounters for the month. The number is a more than 160% jump from the 18,506 apprehended in August of 2022.
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.