Last month, a group of American bishops held mass at the U.S.-Mexico border to draw attention to the worsening issue of migrants dying while trying to cross into the United States. 

The demonstration aimed to protest current immigration laws, which are adding to the increasing number of migrant deaths, the New Republic reports. 

Border security has tightened, which has resulted in the "funnel effect," or the "redistribution of migratory flows into remote and dangerous areas such as southern Arizona," according to the University of Arizona's Binational Migration Institute. 

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) reported that fatalities have almost doubled between 1998 and 2012. The most recent data from the U.S. Border Patrol shows that fatalities in 2013 were slightly below 2012 figures, with 445 deaths compared to 477. However, it still means that there were more fatalities in 2013 than in any other year except 2005 and 2006. 

Migrant casualties increased the most in Arizona. While overall migrant deaths declined in 2013, migrants dying in Arizona increased from 180 in 2012 to 194 in 2013. Arizona's Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, which investigates more migrant disappearances than any other office, led the report, which proves that increased border security has led to more migrant fatalities in the state. 

Last month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also sent a letter to Jeh Johnson, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, urging him to change current security policies to curb the number of migrant deaths. Johnson is also currently reviewing U.S. deportation policies. 

The letter asked the DHS to expand prosecutorial discretion so the government can focus on deporting dangerous criminals. It also urged the department to stop the "Secure Communities" program, in which officials can hunt for immigrants to deport, as well as put more deportations cases up for judicial review. 

The letter also pressured the administration to curb deportations through unilateral executive action. 

Despite the bishops' letter, Obama has not taken action to curb deportations, and has stated that the system needs to be reformed through congressional action. 

Meanwhile, the GOP is continuing to block the Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill from coming to a vote.

Immigrant activists are continuing to push for the bill's passage prior to November's midterm elections.