Biden faces major setback as illegal border crossings surge by 33%.
The Biden Administration Faces Challenges at the Southern Border
The Biden administration has encountered a significant setback at the southern border in July. The number of immigrants attempting to enter the United States illegally from Mexico has soared, following a decline after the conclusion of Title 42 in May.
According to statistics released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents arrested 132,652 immigrants between the ports of entry in July, compared to 99,545 arrests in June.
Defending the Increase
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the increase, highlighting that it was 27% lower than the previous July and lower than the highest levels seen in a century leading up to May 11.
“The administration’s strategy on the border is working. The border is not open, but as with every year, we are seeing ebbs and flows of migrants arriving, and that’s fueled by seasonal trends and the efforts of smugglers to encourage migration,” stated a DHS official during a media call.
The spike in border crossings poses new challenges for the White House, as it tries to incentivize immigrants to apply through legal immigration pathways after the conclusion of Title 42.
It also presents difficulties for DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who experienced a temporary respite from Republican criticism over high border crossings when arrests decreased earlier this summer.
The Impact of Title 42
Title 42, implemented in March 2020, allowed border officials to turn away illegal immigrants to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. With Title 42 no longer in effect, the Biden administration pledged to remove illegal immigrants who did not seek asylum.
Republicans had anticipated a surge of immigrants after the end of Title 42, but instead, the surge occurred in the weeks leading up to its conclusion.
The DHS had prepared for up to 18,000 immigrant apprehensions per day after Title 42. However, in the final days of the policy, the Border Patrol set record highs, with over 11,000 people taken into custody daily.
After Title 42 ended, arrests unexpectedly dropped to 3,700 per day, prompting the DHS to claim success.
The Biden administration attributed the drop to the implementation of new legal pathways for admission, which encouraged many potential illegal crossers to apply through these channels instead of entering unlawfully. This included programs such as allowing immigrants in northern Mexico to schedule appointments with U.S. customs officers to determine eligibility for parole release into the country.
One such initiative was the CBP One app, which allowed immigrants to schedule appointments. In July, 44,700 immigrants arrived at a port of entry for an appointment, potentially preventing them from crossing illegally. It’s important to note that the app is not for seeking asylum, which can be done at a port of entry or after entering the country unlawfully.
Republicans have criticized the CBP One app, claiming it is a way for the Biden administration to bypass the intended use of the parole process on a large scale.
Continued Challenges
The July numbers indicate that White House policies are not effectively reducing border crossings to pre-pandemic levels. Since President Biden took office in 2021, border arrests have fluctuated between 150,000 and 300,000 per month, compared to fewer than 50,000 arrests per month during most of the 2010s.
Overall, the Biden administration faces ongoing challenges at the southern border as it navigates the complexities of immigration and border security.
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