The crisis on the embattled southern border reached new heights this week, and the number of migrant encounters in December has already broken records, even with the last three days of the month still to be counted.
More than 276,000 asylum seekers waiting to cross the US-Mexico border were encountered by US Customs and Border Protection agents in December, the highest number in a single month in history, according to shocking preliminary data. obtained by Fox News Friday.
That number is expected to increase markedly when the last three days are counted. Illegal crossings exceeded 10,000 on some days of the month.
December’s total so far is up a staggering 262% over December 2020, the final month of former President Donald Trump’s presidency, and eclipses the previous monthly record set in September, when 269,735 migrants were encountered, according to statistics from the CBP.
Meanwhile, there were more than 3.2 million migrant encounters nationwide in fiscal year 2023, of which 2.4 million were recorded at the southern border.
The national total is almost equal to 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 detained at the border during the first 27 days of December, also a record, internal federal statistics obtained by CBS News show.
The figures do not specify how many of those detained remain in government custody or are returned. The statistics also do not include migrants who show up at official ports of entry to request asylum through a new application introduced by the Biden administration.
According to CBS, approximately 50,000 immigrants pass through that system each month.
Stunned lawmakers on Friday eviscerated the Biden administration over the spiraling crisis.
“Another record broken by the Biden Administration,” wrote President Mike Johnson (R-La.) in X.
“The border is completely open. “The president must take immediate action to stop the flow of drugs, terrorists and illegal immigrants.”
Federal agents detained 225,000 immigrants in December. REUTERS
“Remember: December is SUPPOSED to be a ‘slower’ month for immigrant detentions,” criticized Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), blaming Biden’s Homeland Security chief, Alejandro Mayorkas.
“The Mayorkas border crisis is breaking its own records and Americans are paying the cost. Accountability is yet to come.”
Authorities are struggling to manage a growing influx of asylum seekers at overwhelmed border locations, with agents preparing 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 U.S. immigration official under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, told CBS.
“We can’t keep funding the system for more and more people. It is a challenge on all levels.”
Since October 1, there have been more than 760,000 migrant encounters at the border, according to data cited by Fox News.
Meanwhile, another 11,000 migrants are crowding into camps in Mexico as they wait for an opportunity to cross into the United States.
Border officials are struggling to manage the surge. REUTERS
“Encounter numbers continue to fluctuate as smugglers and bad actors continue to spread falsehoods and show complete disregard for the safety and well-being of vulnerable migrants,” a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CBS.
“We remain alert and prepared to ensure the safety of our staff, migrants and local communities, and 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.
While no specific agreement was announced as a result, both sides said they were committed to stemming the tide.
“As we made clear today in Mexico City, we are committed to partnering with Mexico to address our shared challenges, including managing unprecedented irregular migration in the region, reopening key ports of entry, and combating illicit fentanyl. and other synthetic drugs,” Blinken said. after the conference.
Mayors of three major cities are asking 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 in nearby American cities, migrants inevitably spread across the country.
The mayors of three major cities (New York, Chicago and Denver) held a joint press conference this week to expand on their concerns.
“As temperatures drop in New York City, Chicago, Denver and other affected cities, we call for a federal emergency declaration, financial support and a national resettlement strategy,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn