The Excerpt Migrants are heading south now, not north
Nov 10, 2025
Daniel González, an Arizona Republic immigration reporter with decades of experience, shares insights into the dramatic shift in migration patterns. He highlights a stunning drop in border crossings, with numbers plummeting from 232,000 to just 9,000. González discusses the reverse migration of individuals returning to countries like Venezuela due to U.S. enforcement. He recounts a poignant story of a Venezuelan family's struggles during their journey through Panama and emphasizes the need for long-term solutions to tackle the underlying causes of migration.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Dramatic Collapse In Border Encounters
- Border encounters collapsed from 232,000 in August 2023 to 9,000 in August 2025, showing a dramatic drop.
- Daniel González says he has never seen such a steep decrease in 25 years covering Arizona's border.
Reverse Migration Driven By U.S. Enforcement
- Migrants are heading south after seeing aggressive ICE arrests, prosecutions, and asylum limits in the U.S.
- Those turning back often come from Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti and seek safety or opportunity elsewhere in the region.
Family Sells Everything, Then Turns Back
- A Venezuelan man and eight relatives sold everything to try to reach the U.S. and then turned back in Panama.
- They borrowed money to return home and felt both relief and sadness at abandoning their American dream.