Search teams and authorities have recovered the remains of around 75 migrants in Arizona’s desert so far in 2026. At the same point last year, the count stood at 59, according to an AZFamily report.
Humane Borders reported that the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner added 19 cases in July and 13 in June. July produced the highest monthly count in two years, although some of the remains had been in the desert for months before their recovery.
The increase comes while reported border apprehensions remain comparatively low. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 9,295 Border Patrol apprehensions along the Southwest border in July, a 6% decrease from June.
Researchers say the locations of recovered remains also appear to be shifting toward southwestern Arizona and the remote desert surrounding Yuma. However, the available data does not explain the higher count or the geographic change.
July produced the highest monthly count in two years
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The July cases show why recovery totals cannot be treated as a count of deaths that occurred during that month. Eight of the 19 people had apparently died more than six to eight months before their remains were found.
Humane Borders says dehydration and exposure cause most recorded deaths. Drowning, hypothermia, physical trauma and undetermined causes also appear in its database.
Researchers are seeing more recoveries in remote areas
Brad Jones, a researcher and death-mapping specialist with Humane Borders, told AZFamily that recent cases increasingly appear in rugged parts of southwestern Arizona.
Humanitarian advocates argue that increased enforcement can redirect migrants toward more isolated routes instead of stopping every attempt. Federal officials maintain that tougher enforcement and asylum restrictions have helped reduce overall crossings. .
The official count is not necessarily complete
The desert can conceal remains for months or years, while some people who disappear may never be found. That means the annual figures combine recent deaths with older cases discovered during the reporting period.
Humane Borders maintains an interactive map using medical-examiner records. Its database contains more than 4,500 deaths recorded in southern Arizona, with each location representing one or more recovered individuals.