Nearly 7.3 million immigrants have illegally crossed the Southwest border under President Biden’s watch, more than the population of 36 states, a Fox News analysis found.
The numbers come from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which has already reported 961,537 border encounters in the current fiscal year, from October to September. If the current pace of illegal immigration does not slow, the number of encounters at the southwest border in fiscal year 2024 will break last year’s record of 2,475,669; That would exceed the state’s population.
The total number of encounters at the Southwest land border since Biden took office in 2021 is 7,298,486, according to CBP data.
These include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Nevada. , New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Migrants caught in new video streaming trying to cross border illegally on remote mountainside in California
Migrants who entered El Paso, Texas, from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, are returned to the Rio Grande River by the Texas National Guard on Thursday, February 8, 2024. The surge in migrants is fueling a humanitarian crisis that is emerging as: It’s a key issue in this year’s presidential election, with Republicans stepping up attacks on President Joe Biden’s response to increased border crossings. (Justin Hummel/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Compared to the largest US states, the 7.3 million person figure is about 18.7% of California’s 39 million population, 23.9% of Texas and its 31 million residents, 32.3% of Florida’s population, and New York’s 37.3%. corresponds to It is more than half the size of Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio.
If the number of illegal immigrants who entered the United States under President Biden were to gather together and establish a city, it would become the second largest city in the United States after New York. And that total does not include the estimated 1.8 million known “fugitives” who have evaded law enforcement, which would be larger than New York.
In total, nearly 10 million immigrants have entered the United States illegally under the Biden administration, a record that Biden’s critics argue could only be achieved by deliberately refusing to enforce the law.
“This unprecedented surge in illegal immigration is not a coincidence; it is the result of deliberate policy choices by the Biden administration,” said Eric Ruark, research director of Numbers USA, a nonprofit that advocates for immigration restrictions.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.
Immigration crisis: Noem sends Border Patrol to ‘conflict zone’ on southern border
A group of migrants of various nationalities arrive at the Rio Grande River, cross the river and surrender to American authorities as Texas National Guard troops no longer block their passage in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, February 19, 2024. (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Republicans and anti-illegal immigration activists have long accused Biden of undoing former President Donald Trump’s border policies and allowing the current overwhelming surge of migrants. The Biden administration has denied responsibility for the crisis, pointing to external “push” factors such as violence and economic instability in Latin America as responsible for the massive wave of migrants to the United States.
But the president’s critics say immigrants will face more “pull” factors in the form of job opportunities and government benefits because they know they won’t face deportation under Biden’s generous policies. states that it is facing.
“The administration refuses to enforce current immigration laws and takes every opportunity to do so through policies such as catch-and-release, mass parole, and the granting of temporary work permits to tens of thousands of aliens with dubious claims. and aiding and abetting illegal border crossing ‘seeking asylum,”’ Ruark told FOX News Digital. “In effect, the U.S. government is completing the Mexican cartels’ human smuggling and human trafficking process.”
With Texas National Guard troops no longer blocking their passage in Ciudad Juárez, a group of migrants of various nationalities arrived at the Rio Grande, two people and a child crossing the water in an attempt to cross and surrender to American authorities. trying to cross. Mexico on February 19, 2024. (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ira Melman, spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), said immigrants have learned over the past three years that entering the country illegally does not result in deportation.
“They are sending a signal that if you come to the United States illegally or abuse the asylum system, you will be released into the country and allowed to remain here, in most cases with a work permit. “There are,” Melman said. “Even if you fail to appear at a hearing, your chances of being removed from office are slim. The president claims he doesn’t have the authority to enforce our laws. He absolutely does. .He is intentionally not enforcing these laws.”
Majority of illegal border crossers shift from Texas to Arizona and California
A group of migrants of various nationalities arrive at the Rio Grande River, cross the river and surrender to American authorities after Texas National Guard troops no longer block their passage in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, February 19, 2024 . (Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Biden has called on Congress to pass new legislation that he says can solve the border crisis. He supported a bipartisan Senate agreement that includes an “emergency border authority” mandate that would require Title 42-style immigrant expulsions if immigration levels exceed 5,000 people per day on a seven-day rolling average. He would also have limited the windows through which people can apply for asylum, granted immediate work permits to asylum seekers, and funded a significant increase in border personnel and immigration judges.
But conservatives stalled the deal in the Senate after House Republicans declared it a non-starter. They argue that the bill would normalize record levels of illegal immigration and that Mr. Biden now has all the authority he needs to replicate President Trump’s policies and secure the border. insisted.
As the debate rages on, House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for refusing to enforce immigration laws. Two articles of impeachment filed against Mayorkas accuse him of “refusing to comply with federal immigration law” and violating the “public trust.”
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DHS criticized the effort as politically motivated and insisted the Biden administration was enforcing it under the law.
“History will not look kindly on this blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship by House Republicans targeting honorable public servants for petty political maneuvering,” Biden said.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Adam Shaw and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
