In a remote desert region along the southern border, thousands of migrants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America have gathered, hoping to work and reunite with family members in the United States. The Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona has become a makeshift international arrivals area where migrant men, women, and families wait for overtaxed border officials to process them.

Large groups of migrants, including men from Guinea, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and nations in Asia such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Syria, have spent nights in a makeshift staging ground near the border wall. Families predominantly from Mexico and Central America have also joined them. Lack of resources and manpower has stretched the border officials, resulting in lengthy processing times.

The dire humanitarian implications of the situation are apparent as migrants set up fires to stay warm during the dropping temperatures of the desert nights. Without access to restrooms, they are left with no option except to relieve themselves in the vicinity of the picturesque landscape adorned with cacti.

The wait to be processed has become so long that Mexican families and merchants have started traveling to the staging ground to sell drinks and food to the desperate newcomers. This highlights the urgency and need for better processing facilities and infrastructure at the border.

The crisis along the southern border has reached unprecedented levels, with Border Patrol apprehending over 2 million migrants who entered the U.S. illegally in fiscal year 2023. The month of October has seen a spike in illegal border crossings, with Border Patrol processing nearly 10,000 apprehensions every 24 hours, up from the 6,000 daily average in October, according to internal government data.

The situation has left local volunteers, such as Dan Abbott from Humane Borders, concerned about the well-being of migrants in the treacherous terrain. Abbott and his group distribute water and food inside the Organ Pipe National Monument, hoping to prevent any casualties.

While some migrants are fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries, economic misfortune and the desire to reunite with relatives in the U.S. do not qualify as grounds for U.S. asylum. However, due to the mounting backlog of approximately 3 million pending asylum cases, most migrants are released with court cases that take years to complete.

As Congress engages in debates over an overhaul of the asylum system, Republicans are pushing for sweeping asylum restrictions, capitalizing on the record levels of border crossings. The talks could potentially lead to the first major immigration system overhaul since 1996.

The Biden administration has implemented a strategy to manage migration through stricter asylum rules for those who enter the country illegally, paired with expanded channels for legal migration. However, unauthorized migration has significantly increased in recent months, frustrating lawmakers and communities housing the new arrivals.

Customs and Border Protection has announced surges in staff and resources to the Arizona desert to combat smuggling organizations and repair breaches in the border wall. Smugglers play a major role in organizing movement across the border, often cutting parts of the wall to let groups of migrants into the U.S.

The challenges faced by Border Patrol and the overwhelming numbers of migrants crossing the southern border highlight the urgent need for reform and improved resources to address the humanitarian crisis.