Arizona saw a dramatic shift in illegal border activity in fiscal 2025. CBP data show 65,813 apprehensions in the state, excluding gotaways, a figure reported by The Center Square with CBS 19 News republishing the article. The Center Square attributes much of the decline to enforcement and policy changes implemented during the Trump administration and notes that exclusive gotaway data—reported by Border Patrol agents—are part of the story’s context. The CBP data cited cover the state’s Tucson and Yuma Sectors along the Arizona–Mexico border.
Supporters of stricter enforcement argue that measures such as increased field presence, expedited removal, National Guard/Coast Guard support, and a ramped-up border-wall footprint contributed to the observed drop. Critics caution that a single-state snapshot can be misleading if extrapolated nationally, and emphasize that gotaway figures are not publicly released by CBP in the same way as apprehensions.
Beyond the state line, Center Square’s reporting frames the gotaway data as evidence of unseen cross-border activity, noting nationwide gotaways cited in Biden years by the outlet. The article anchors its figures to CBP data for Arizona and situates them within the broader national debate over border policy.
For readers seeking original reporting, the CBS 19 News and Center Square articles are linked in the source materials.