By Steve Neavling
A record number of migrants have been arrested along the Mexico border with nearly 2.4 million detainments in the last 12 months.
By comparison, 1.7 million migrants were take into custody in the previous fiscal year. That represents a 37% increase.
An average of 540,000 migrants were arrested between 2012 and 2020.
“CBP and DHS will continue to work with our partners in the region to address the root causes of migration, expand legal pathways, facilitate removals, and take thousands of smugglers off the streets,” CBP Commissioner Chris Mangus said in a statement. “No matter what smugglers say, those who do not have a legal basis to remain in the country will be removed and people should not make the dangerous journey.”
A growing number of migrants from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are crossing the border, creating a significant challenge for the Biden administration.
“While failing regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua continued to drive a new wave of migration across the western Hemisphere, the number of Venezuelans arriving at the southern border decreased sharply nearly every day since we launched additional joint actions with Mexico to reduce irregular migration and create a more fair, orderly and safe process for people fleeing the humanitarian and economic crisis in their country,” Magnus said. “Over the past week, the number of Venezuelans attempting to enter the country fell more than 80 percent compared to the week prior to the launch of the joint enforcement actions. While this early data is not reflected in the latest report, it confirms what we’ve said all along: when there is a lawful and orderly way to enter the country, individuals will be less likely to put their lives in the hands of smugglers and try to cross the border unlawfully.”
Republicans blame the surge on Biden’s immigration policies.
