Migrants then looked for more remote areas, like the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona, to cross undetected. Since 2000, 4,284 migrants are known to have died crossing the Sonoran Desert.

The Superstition Wilderness east of Phoenix, Arizona, extends over 140,000 acres of rugged desert and mountains. Adequate preparation, maps and outdoor skills are required. Brian Mann/NPR hide caption ...

Arizona's iconic Saguaro cactus is dying off at an intense rate with the Desert Botanical Garden saying nearly 20% of their plants have died since 2020.

In February, at least 2,000 employees had been eliminated from the U.S. Forest Service, which is responsible for lands across the country that, together, rival the size of Texas.