So far this year there have been 108 confirmed measles cases in Arizona, including 16 cases in Pinal County — including the seven cases just reported in ICE detention facilities — and two cases in Pima County, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services’s measles website. Of the 330 confirmed measles cases in Arizona since the start of 2025, 96% of the infected individuals were unvaccinated, the agency said.
Pinal County Public Health Services recently warned the public of potential measles exposures for those who visited a Wendy’s in Coolidge on June 25, when a traveler with measles passed through the restaurant.
Even though the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, measles cases have been surging across the U.S. as vaccination rates have declined, especially since the pandemic.
In 2025, the U.S. recorded 2,268 measles cases, the highest number of infections in 30 years. This year is on track to soon surpass last year’s figure, with 2,184 measles cases already confirmed in 2026, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Measles Tracker.
Florence detainees with measles are being monitored to prevent spread of the highly contagious disease, and all detainees are receiving “proper medical care,” the DHS statement said.
“It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care — including access to vaccines,” the statement said. “This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare than many aliens have received in their entire lives.”