Fox’s first appearance: As the United States continues to face an overwhelming immigration crisis, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) says Border Patrol may be underestimating the number of “runaways” of illegal immigrants at the southern border. I’m warning you that there is.
Biggs, co-chair of the House Border Protection Caucus, said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, first obtained by Fox News Digital, that official statistics show that about 675,000 cases have been filed this fiscal year. There was a ‘flight’, but the numbers could be even higher.
The term “fugitive” refers to illegal immigrants who have escaped Border Patrol but are detected by other forms of surveillance. Biggs said current practice is for investigators to report daily the numbers they believe they have, but he cautioned that this could be inaccurately reported.
DHS provides work permits and deportation protection to more than 470,000 Venezuelans
Congressman Andy Biggs wants answers about the number of fugitives seen near the border. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/File)
“However, if an agent reports a group of more than 20 aliens, the group will be reported as “20 or more” and counted as 20, regardless of the number listed above,” he wrote.
“Informed sources have argued for years that this largest category of 20 or more people has led to underreporting.Given the sheer number of people currently entering the United States illegally, fugitive groups regularly We are exceeding that number, leading to further underreporting,” Biggs continued.
He warned that fugitives pose a serious threat to U.S. communities and national security, and are likely to have criminal histories or cartel affiliations, both of which authorities acknowledge pose a threat. did.
“Given evasion of law enforcement, these individuals are likely to have criminal histories or cartel affiliations that would render them inadmissible lawfully, and they are likely to have illegal drugs, There is a high possibility that they are involved in the trafficking of weapons and human beings.”
Biggs is seeking information on how DHS counts vacations, estimates for fiscal year 2023, and changes it plans to make to better report that number.
Republican governors ask Biden to provide ‘honest and accurate’ data on migrant crisis as migrant numbers surge
The letter comes amid another surge in population at the southern border, including thousands of people flocking to Eagle Pass, Texas, this week. Officials told Fox on Thursday that there were more than 10,000 cross-border encounters in a 24-hour period. Multiple branches of the Border Patrol are overwhelmed, with some resorting to releasing detained migrants onto the streets.
According to officials, the number of cases in August is expected to reach approximately 230,000, a significant increase from more than 180,000 cases in July and more than 144,000 cases in June.
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The administration this week took a number of steps to address the crisis, including additional deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, increasing capacity in border patrol facilities, expediting work permits, and sending more personnel to the border. Announced.
FOX News’ Bill Melgin contributed to this report.
