Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Friday announced a record number of 302,000 migrant encounters at the southern border, setting a new record for the number of migrant encounters at the southern border in December. confirmed.
Friday afternoon's announcement came more than three weeks after Fox reported that there were more than 302,000 encounters in December, with 302,034. This breaks the monthly record set in September and is the first time the number has exceeded the 300,000 mark.
That's enough to fill the Super Bowl in Las Vegas more than four and a half times, and roughly the entire population of Cincinnati. Approximately 250,000 of the encounters occurred between ports of entry.
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Migrants wait to be processed at a U.S. Border Patrol transit center after crossing the border from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on December 20, 2023. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) (John Moore/Getty Images)
This is the latest staggering number to emerge at the southern border since the crisis exploded in 2021. Following record numbers in 2022, more than 2.4 million migrants were encountered in 2023.
This figure does not include fugitives, who were estimated to number more than 800,000 in 2023, or migrants paroled through the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) parole program (30,000 of migrants can travel directly by air) every month as part of the Biden administration's “Expansion of Legal Routes.”
Separately, 19 people on the terrorist watch list were arrested in December, all at the southern border. This brings the total number of arrests over the past 24 fiscal years to 50 (49 on the southern border and 1 on the northern border).
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The Watch List, now officially referred to as the Terrorist Screening Dataset, is a U.S. database containing information on the identities of terrorists, including known terrorists or terrorist suspects as well as individuals on the watch list. Also includes related parties.
The numbers come as border security remains a hot political issue across the country. In Texas, officials are at odds with the federal government over the state's seizure of Shelby Park and the government's cutting of razor wire installed by Texas. The Supreme Court recently allowed the Biden administration to resume the practice.
Meanwhile, several “sanctuary” cities are asking the Biden administration for help as they face the flood of migrants, some of whom are being bussed in from Texas.
Separately, negotiations on a border supplement bill are underway in Washington, DC. As part of its request, the White House is asking for $14 billion, including aid to local communities, increased staffing and expanded expedited removals. Republicans say the policy must include asylum restrictions and restrictions on the administration's ability to provide humanitarian parole.
The Biden administration says it needs comprehensive immigration reform from Congress and funding to address what it calls a “broken” system, accusing Republicans of trying to politicize the system. It also points out that the number of removals since May has been higher than in all of 2019, and fentanyl seizures have also been recorded.
On Friday, CBP Acting Director Troy Miller said CBP “remains vigilant in responding to the serious challenges we are experiencing across our Southwest border.”
“CBP will continue to use all of its resources to ensure the safety and security of our nation's agents, law enforcement officers, and immigrants who are often misunderstood and victimized by transnational criminal organizations,” he said. . “However, as we have repeatedly stated, CBP and our federal partners need additional support from Congress so they can continue to impact those who do not utilize established legal channels.” is.”
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But Republicans have blamed the crisis on the Biden administration and its policies, and recently moved to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, alleging “dereliction of duty.” Those calls resumed soon after the numbers declined, and House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green said they were “undeniable evidence” of his majority's case.
“This alarming number of encounters at the border are simply happening by design, by a deliberate refusal to follow the laws passed by Congress,” he said. “The harsh reality is that this Secretary is intentionally opening our borders and sending a clear message to the world: illegal entry means release into the interior, with little chance of deportation. The world is reacting accordingly. This is intentional and it is a disaster.
