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Discoveries Of Crossers' Bodies Now At Lowest Level In 10 Years

Bodies Discovered At Border Reaches Lowest Level In 10 Years
The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson
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US-MEXICO BORDER, UNITED STATES: 2/8 US-MEXICO-IMMIGRATION 'BORDER CROSSING DEATH' (L) An immigrant walks through the desert few yards away from the border with the US near the border town of Sasabe, Mexico, 06 April, 2006. AFP PHOTO/OMAR TORRES (R) An improvised cemetery for unidentified people who died crossing the border is seen near the city of Holtville a few miles east of San Diego, California 28 January, 2006. As operation Gatekeeper was introduced in 1994 to increase border security, most broder-crossing moved towards the east, increasing the risks for immigrants because of rough terrain and inclement weather in a mostly mountainous and desert areas. According to the US Border Patrol, some 2000 people died between 1998-2004 in their attempt to cross the border. AFP PHOTO/HECTOR MATA =EDITORS: MORE IMAGES AVAILABLE IN IMAGE FORUM= (Photo credit should read STF/AFP/Getty Images)

The number of undocumented immigrants' bodies found last year in the Arizona desert was the lowest in a decade.

During federal fiscal year 2012, 172 bodies were found in the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, the Arizona Daily Star's border death database shows. That's down from the record in 2010, when 252 bodies were found.

The federal fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

For about 70 percent of the bodies found in the Tucson Sector in fiscal 2012, the cause of death was undetermined, mostly because they were badly decomposed. In the Tucson area, the Pima County medical examiner is responsible for conducting autopsies on and trying to identify the bodies found.

So far this fiscal year, there have been 42 bodies of illegal border crossers found in the Tucson Sector.

One was that of Gerardo Lopez de Leon, a 41-year-old Mexican national traveling with some relatives through an area near Pena Blanca Lake and Arivaca, said Sheriff Tony Estrada of Santa Cruz County.

He died of hypothermia, the most common cause of death after "undetermined." His body was found Feb. 12.

Estrada said his office has found three remains this calendar year compared with about eight or nine last year.

"The numbers went down tremendously from 20 or so, give or take on average we used to have," he said. "It's been declining, and it has a lot to do with numbers coming through."

The number of Border Patrol apprehensions in the Tucson Sector has decreased from nearly 500,000 in 2001 to 120,000 last fiscal year.

The number of apprehensions is generally used as an indicator of the undocumented immigrant flow.

Since 2001, more than 2,200, men, women and children have been found dead trying to cross illegally into the United States through Arizona's desert.

"Who is Dayani Cristal?"

The death toll in the border desert has for years caught the attention of journalists, filmmakers and photographers.

It is now the topic of a new film titled "Who is Dayani Cristal?" by Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal and director Marc Silver, about a decomposing body found in the Arizona desert in August 2010. It screened at this year's Sundance Film Festival and is scheduled to be shown in Tucson later this year.

The film unravels the mystery about the dead man, who had "Dayani Cristal" tattooed across his chest.

He was found by two ranchers, who called the Pima County Sheriff's Department, said Dr. Greg Hess, the county medical examiner. The man was identified two months later as Dilcy Sanders Martinez, 29.

The film blends interviews and conventional documentary segments with Bernal's travels through Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico to reveal the circumstances that led Sanders Martinez on a 2,000-mile trek that ended in the desert, The Associated Press reported.

The film crew had the rare opportunity to follow the process of identifying the man to completion while it was in Tucson, said Robin Reineke, a University of Arizona graduate student who coordinates the Pima County Missing and Unidentified Persons Project and appears in the film.

Bernal and Silver said the intent was to put a face on one of the thousands -- many anonymous -- who have died in the Arizona desert, according to the AP.

"It allows you to understand the force that leads him to cross the border and shows you how it's not an individual choice," Reineke said.

BORDER DEATHS

Humane Borders, a local organization that provides water to undocumented immigrants crossing through the Arizona desert, collaborates with the the Pima County medical examiner to develop detailed maps of the region that mark the location of every body discovered. John F. Chamblee, a Humane Borders volunteer and head of its mapping project, will discuss the project at a public meeting.

The event is 6 p.m. Friday at Grace St. Paul Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. For information online, go to borderaction.org

Contact reporter Perla Trevizo at ptrevizo@azstarnet.com or at 573-4213. On Twitter: @Perla_Trevizo.

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(c)2013 The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.)

Visit The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.) at www.azstarnet.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Before You Go

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
What is Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals?(01 of09)
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Deferred action temporarily prevents deportation of an individual that resides in the United States without a lawful immigration status. It does not give or result in lawful status for the individual, and can be terminated or renewed at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Deferred action does not excuse any past or future period of unlawful presence, however, individuals whose requests are accepted will not increase their unlawful presence in the country while under the action. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a new directive introduced by the Obama Administration on June 15, 2012. The policy shift will allow individuals unlawfully brought into the U.S. as children, and who meet certain guidelines, to apply for two years of deferred action subject to renewal and termination at the discretion of the DHS. Once deferred action has been granted, individuals qualify to obtain work authorization in the United States if he or she can prove "an economic necessity for employment." Those applying must meet all specified guidelines, but decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Source: USCIS (credit:Alamy)
Who Is Eligible? (02 of09)
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Individuals currently in removal proceedings, with final orders for removal or with voluntary departure orders, qualify as long as they are not in immigration detention. Those who are in detention can request consideration for deferred action from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Anyone who meets ALL 7 guidelines outlined by the Obama Administration is eligible to request deferred action from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). (credit:Alamy)
Seven Requirements For Eligibility(03 of09)
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Applicants must:1) Be under 31 years of age as of June 15, 2012. You must be at least 15 years of age, with some exceptions.*2) Have come into the U.S. before the age of 16. 3) Have lived in the U.S. permanently since June 15, 2012. Some travel acceptable.*4) Have been physically in the U.S. on June 15, 2012 and when applying for deferred action.5) Have entered the U.S. without inspection before June 15, 2012 or have had their lawful immigration status expire since then.6) Be currently enrolled in school at the time of the request. Also eligible are individuals who have graduated from high school, obtained a GED certificate, or are a honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Armed Forces.7) Have not been convicted of a felony, "significant misdemeanor, 3 or more other misdemeanors," and/or are not seen as a threat to national security or public safety. *Check USCIS website for details. (credit:Alamy)
How To Apply?(04 of09)
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Before applying: On their website, the USCIS presents applicants with tips to ways to avoid scams. In addition, the USCIS lists Before and After Filing Tips, help in finding accredited legal services to aid individuals file for deferred action, and examples of common scams to avoid.Applying: USCIS begins accepting applications on August 15, 2012. Any requests received prior to this date will be rejected. For consideration, individuals must submit the following (next slide) to the USCIS Lockbox. (credit:Alamy)
Forms and Fee(05 of09)
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The application consists of:1) A completed and signed, Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival. Forms should include evidence to support that you meet all 7 guidelines of eligibility. 2) Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization3) Form I-765WS, Worksheet (which establishes your economic need for employment)4) Filing fees for Form I-765, which total to $465. (credit:Alamy)
After Applying(06 of09)
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All applicants will undergo a background check. Once the forms and fee are received and deemed complete by the USCIS, applicants will receive a receipt notice. The applicant can complete an additional form if he or she would like to receive this notice electronically.Afterwards, the USCIS will send applicants notice of their mandatory appointment at an Application Support Center (ASC) for biometric services. (credit:Alamy)
Additional Information(07 of09)
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Fee waivers for the work authorization application and biometric collection cannot be requested, very limited exceptions exist.* Denial of deferred action does not mean applicants will be placed in removal proceedings, however under exceptional circumstances cases may be referred to ICE.* Deferred action can be extended past the initial two year period unless terminated. USCIS's determination may not be appealed, though cases can be reviewed in certain circumstances.*Applicants should NOT travel outside of the United States as of August 15, 2012. Doing so will make the applicant ineligible for deferred action consideration.*Check USCIS website for details. (credit:Alamy)
How Many People Will Get Relief?(08 of09)
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According to The Immigration Policy Center, approximately 1.4 million immigrants in the United States are expected to meet the 7 guidelines of the deferred action initiative, now or in the future.An estimated 936,930 meet those requirements as of August 15, 2012. California (412,560), Texas (226,700), Florida (85,750), and New York (70,170) are the states with the highest number of expected beneficiaries. Click to view complete chart. Mexican immigrants make up almost 70% of those eligible. (credit:Alamy)
Opposition To Deferred Action(09 of09)
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Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee:
"In order to process the millions of applications from illegal immigrants, the Obama administration will have to divert funding and other resources from processing legal immigration applications. This will lead to a backlog for legal immigrants who followed the rules, while allowing lawbreakers to skip to the front of the line." Adding that the policy shift is an "open invitation for fraud" during the application process.
The directive is expected to cost $585 million. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in an interview with CBS News:
"With regards to these kids who were brought in by their parents through no fault of their own, there needs to be a long-term solution so they know what their status is."
 (credit:Alamy)
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