Approximately 40,000 people have been arrested on federal forest land this year after attempting to enter the United States illegally from Mexico through the protected spaces, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
A senior official at the Department of Agriculture's U.S. Forest System headquarters in Washington told members of the House natural resources panel that U.S. Forest Service rangers, particularly in Arizona, worked closely with Border Patrol agents to catch tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who, unlike the millions who cross and surrender to police in other areas, attempted to evade police and sneak in undetected.
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"There were about 40,000 individuals apprehended on National Forest System lands this year," said Chris French, deputy chief of the National Forest System within the U.S. Forest Service. "We've apprehended about, or worked with the Border Patrol and apprehended about, 40,000 individuals."
French appeared before the panel's subcommittee on oversight and investigations for a hearing titled "Securing the border, saving our national parks," in which lawmakers asked immigration experts and government employees about the impacts of illegal immigration through conservation land.
The 40,000-figure includes apprehensions since Oct. 1, 2022, the start of fiscal 2023. The 40,000 apprehensions are some of the 322,000 illegal immigrants Border Patrol agents processed between last October and August this year, according to federal data.
French said he was unable to compare the number to previous years.
Roughly 380 miles of the border covers protected park space, including the forests.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) made a guest appearance during the hearing and asked witnesses about the impacts of trash and foot traffic through the Coronado National Forest and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument region.
"I hear constantly for my constituents back home about the impact of this administration's failed border policies, and I'm very concerned about the impact that it's having on our local environment as well," Ciscomani said.
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Land officials said they did not come prepared to share information about the amount of trash and damage left behind on federal land as a result of illegal immigration and drug smuggling by Mexican cartels but said the two Arizona sites were the most heavily hit by cross-border activity and that information on trash would be provided when it came available.
More than 5 million people have been apprehended by Border Patrol for crossing illegally between the land ports of entry since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. An additional 1.5 million illegal immigrants have been observed by federal law enforcement illegally entering the country, but police were unable to stop them.