Border deaths in Arizona may break record

This year, 170 bodies have been found in Pima County; many of those cannot be identified. Some expected tougher immigration policies to deter people from trying to cross the desert into the U.S.

By Nicole Santa Cruz,
Los Angeles Times
August 24, 2010

Reporting from Tucson

This year, Arizona became known as the state with the toughest policies against illegal immigration. That's why Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Eric Peters didn't think the Pima County coroner would see a surge in migrants killed while trying to cross Arizona's southern deserts.

But despite beefed-up efforts to stem illegal immigration and an economy that makes work harder to come by, migrants are still trying to get into the country. And many are dying.

In 2007, a record 218 bodies were found in Pima County. This year, the death toll could be worse. Already, authorities have recovered the remains of 170 migrants.

"We're kind of looking at a record-breaking year this year," Peters said.

(More here.)