(The Center Square) – Nearly 245,000 foreign nationals were apprehended or reported as gotaways after illegally entering the southwest border in March, according to preliminary data obtained by The Center Square.
“Gotaways” refers to those known and reported to illegally enter the U.S. primarily between ports of entry, who intentionally evade capture by law enforcement and don’t return to Mexico. In March, gotaways totaled at least 74,924, with the greatest numbers reported in the Tucson Sector of Arizona, followed by the El Paso Sector, which includes all of New Mexico and two west Texas counties.
Due to a combination of factors, cartel-driven illegal entry is shifting west into Arizona and increasingly in California. However, the El Paso Sector led all southwest border sectors with the greatest number of apprehensions of at least 39,785 last month.
