Thousands of “special interest aliens” have entered the United States illegally through San Diego, California, since October, according to internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data obtained by Fox News.
Nearly 140,000 total illegal immigrants have entered the San Diego area since fiscal year 2024 began on Oct. 1, CBP data shows.
Volunteers prepare to distribute to migrants in front of a 30-foot wall next to an old 18-foot wall on Oct. 10, 2023 in San Diego, California. (Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
The 140,000 illegal immigrants encountered include thousands of “special interest aliens,” classified as people from countries with potential national security concerns.
Nationals of “special interest countries” are considered special interest aliens and are subject to additional checks by federal authorities after being apprehended by the Border Patrol.
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Since October, 2,500 people from the West African nation of Mauritania, 2,500 from Uzbekistan, 1,600 from Afghanistan, 850 from Russia, 500 from Tajikistan, 400 from Kyrgyzstan and 6,100 from Turkey have been encountered in the San Diego area.
Border Patrol agents in the San Diego area also encounter illegal immigrants from Vietnam, Georgia, Senegal, Cameroon, Nepal, Romania, Ethiopia, Colombia, China, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Guinea, India, Guatemala and Peru.
Overall, there were more than 961,000 encounters with immigrants this fiscal year, up from a record 2.4 million in fiscal 2023. In December, the number of cases reached a record high of 301,000, but in January the number plummeted to 176,000.
Asylum seekers cross the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the United States on September 30, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The data suggests that President Biden will use provisions of federal immigration law that former President Trump repeatedly used to unilaterally enact a sweeping crackdown on the southern border, according to three people familiar with the deliberations. The announcement was made amid reports that the matter is being considered.
The news comes after a bipartisan bill that combined border security spending with aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan failed earlier this month.
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Biden’s team’s exploration of such measures underscores the pressures the president faces in this election year on immigration and the border, which has become one of his biggest political responsibilities since taking office.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
