The crisis at the beleaguered southern border reached new heights this week, with the number of migrant encounters in December already breaking records — even with the last three days of the month still counting.
More than 276,000 asylum seekers hoping to cross the US-Mexico border were intercepted by US Customs and Border Protection agents in December, the highest number for a month in history, according to shocking preliminary data obtained by Fox News Friday.
That figure is expected to rise when the last three days are counted. Illegal crossings exceed 10,000 on several days throughout the month.
The December total so far is up 262% from December 2020, the last month of former President Donald Trump’s presidency — and surpasses the previous monthly record set in September, when 269,735 immigrants were found, according to CBP statistics.
Meanwhile, there were more than 3.2 million immigrant encounters overall across the country in fiscal year 2023, of which 2.4 million were recorded at the southern border.
The national total is almost the same as the number of births registered in the United States in 2022, when 3,667,758 new babies were born.
The December figure also includes 225,000 immigrants apprehended at the border during the first 27 days of December — also a record, internal federal statistics obtained by the CBS News show.
The figure does not say how many of those detained are still in government custody or deported. The statistics also do not include immigrants who show up at official ports of entry to apply for asylum through a new application introduced by the Biden administration.
About 50,000 immigrants are funneled through the system each month, according to CBS.
Shocked lawmakers ousted the Biden administration on Friday because of the escalating crisis.
“Another record broken by the Biden Administration,” wrote Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on X.
“Borders are wide open. The President must take immediate action to stop the flow of drugs, terrorists and illegal immigrants.”
Federal agents took 225,000 immigrants into custody in December. Reuters
“Remember: December SHOULD be a ‘slower’ month for immigrant concerns,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) fumed to X, blaming Biden’s Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Majorcas’ border crisis broke its own record — and the American people are paying the price. Accountability will come.”
Officials are struggling to manage the accelerating influx of asylum seekers at overwhelmed border locations, with agents bracing for the arrival of a massive caravan of up to 15,000 migrants in the coming weeks.
“It’s an unsustainable number of arrivals,” Theresa Cardinal Brown, a former US immigration official under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, told CBS.
“We cannot continue to fund the system for more people. It’s challenging on every level.”
Since October 1, there have been more than 760,000 immigration encounters at the border, according to data cited by Fox News.
Meanwhile, another 11,000 migrants are huddled in camps in Mexico as they wait for a chance to cross into the US.
Border officials are struggling to manage the surge. Reuters
“The number of encounters continues to fluctuate, as smugglers and bad actors continue to spread falsehoods and show a complete disregard for the safety and well-being of vulnerable migrants,” a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection told CBS.
“We remain vigilant and prepared to ensure the safety of our staff, migrants and local communities, as well as the security of our southwest border.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador this week to address the growing crisis.
Although no specific arrangements were announced as a result, both sides said they were committed to stemming the tide.
“As we made clear in Mexico City today, we are committed to working with Mexico to address our shared challenges, including managing unprecedented irregular migration in the region, reopening key gateways and combating illicit fentanyl and other synthetic drugs ,” said Blinken. after the meeting.
Mayors from three major cities are calling for additional resources to deal with the sudden influx. Reuters
While the short-term challenges posed by the surge are absorbed at the border and nearby US cities, immigrants inevitably spread across the country.
Mayors from three major cities – New York, Chicago and Denver – held a joint press conference this week to reinforce their concerns.
“As temperatures drop in New York City, Chicago, Denver and other affected cities, we are calling for a federal emergency declaration, financial support and a national relocation strategy,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
