July Marks Highest Single-Month Border Deaths in Two Years, Humane Borders Says

Humane Borders announced that 19 bodies were recovered along the Arizona-Mexico border during July, representing the highest single-month death toll in the last two years. The group highlighted that 73 remains have been found in Arizona this year, up from 59 the year before and 103 for the entirety of 2025. Their records show over 4,500 migrant deaths along the Arizona side of the border in the past 25 years.

Brad Jones, a board member, argued that the fatalities contradict narratives that the border is effectively sealed, indicating that people continue to attempt the hazardous crossing. The organization stressed that border enforcement policies do not affect the mortality of those who die before reaching U.S. authorities. Historical data cited by Humane Borders show the lowest annual deaths in 2025, while the highest occurred in 2021, the first year of the current administration.