In addition to being a popular tourist destination, San Diego is also a favorite destination for immigrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, according to new data.
In the second week of May alone, 8,016 migrants were arrested, compared to an astonishing 10,023 in the two weeks prior. It is shared by border guards in the region.
The numbers show no signs of slowing down, with more than 35,490 apprehensions in April, making it the busiest of the Border Patrol’s nine divisions along the southern border for the second month in a row, the busiest since the 1990s. This is the first time since then.
This sudden spike may be due to other states suffering from immigration fatigue, such as Texas, tightening their borders and forcing foreigners and smugglers to find easier routes into the United States. .
“Mexican authorities are putting tremendous pressure on the main migration route to Texas, which may force people to try other routes farther west,” said Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS. Chris Ramon, senior immigration advisor at he told the Los Angeles Times.
“Immigration is a dynamic phenomenon, and people will adapt and find the conditions that give them the best chance of reaching the United States.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has led a fierce anti-immigrant campaign, including stationing the National Guard along the border and busing illegal aliens who have managed to enter progressive municipalities like New York City. There is.
AP
Sanctuary state California has proven more lenient, with San Diego in particular detaining “at least” 125,000 immigrants “without proper vetting” over a six-month period beginning in September 2023. officials told the Post this month. .
This spike does not reflect a change in the overall number of arrests along the border, just a change in the number of arrests along the border.
San Diego saw a 69% increase in immigrant arrests from Oct. 1 to March 31, while Texas saw a 29% decrease, the Times reported.
A senior Customs and Border Protection official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper that the government plans to send additional agents to the San Diego border to quell the recent surge, and Mexican authorities are planning to do the same on their side of the border. He said he is letting them do it.
“As we have done in the past, if a cartel changes, we will adjust our operations,” the official said.
They warn that this effort may only be a band-aid, suggesting it is only a matter of time before new routes emerge elsewhere.
“Cartels are always trying to find ways to exploit and circumvent law enforcement,” the official said.
