Staff Reports
The Washington Post has reported that illegal border crossings in July have once again surged, breaking the 100,000 mark that it had dipped below in June. This is the first time that illegal border crossings have surpassed 100,000 since Joe Biden became president. The Biden administration has been using the previous lower numbers to claim that they have made progress in securing the southern border.
July's Border Numbers Prove Biden Admin Took a Premature Victory Lap https://t.co/rcUUW98lKc
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 1, 2023
According to early numbers provided to The Post, Border Patrol made over 130,000 apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border in July, a significant increase from the 99,545 apprehensions in June. On top of that, an additional 50,000 migrants were allowed to cross into the United States in July through Biden administration programs that allow asylum-seekers to schedule appointments at U.S. ports of entry using the CBP One mobile application.
#BreakingNews Around 250 migrants are protesting at the port of entry bridge 1 in Nuevo Laredo. They are arguing with immigration staff over CBP One not working @Noticias_Front pic.twitter.com/dXKCNHiU7z
— Juan Mendoza Díaz (@JuanMoreNews) August 1, 2023
The spike in illegal crossings was particularly noticeable in the deserts of southern Arizona, where temperatures often exceeded 110 degrees. Despite the extreme heat, U.S. agents in the Tucson sector made about 40,000 arrests in July, the highest number of arrests in a single month in 15 years, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In response to these numbers, CBP spokesperson Erin Waters tried to put a positive spin on the situation, stating that “unlawful border crossings have gone down since our border enforcement plan went into effect and remain well below the levels seen while Title 42 was in effect.” However, what Waters leaves out is that these numbers are still significantly higher than those seen during previous presidential administrations.
Despite the existence of the CBP One app, many migrants in Mexico are growing frustrated with the long wait times for slots to open or for the app to function properly. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis. It is clear that their current strategies are not deterring illegal crossings and that more needs to be done to secure our borders.
