According to data released by the US government on Friday, the number of persons apprehended for attempting to enter the nation illegally from Mexico surged by 33% between June and July. In contrast, with the adoption of harsher asylum procedures in May, there was a dramatic reduction.
Vice President Joe Biden’s administration has declared that its policy of raising the number of lawful entrance gateways while increasing the number of punitive measures for illegal border crossers is working. Despite tighter immigration controls, the number of illegal crossings was estimated to have fallen by 27% since July 2022.
The increase, almost doubling to 60,161 from June, may be ascribed to an increase in the number of families traveling with children.
Authorities chastised smugglers for directing people to more difficult and excessively hot areas of Arizona on the false pretext that it would be easier to cross and be released in the United States. The Tucson area recorded 39,215 arrests in July, a 60% rise from June and a more than 100% increase from July 2022, making it the busiest of nine geographic sectors along the border. Several big groups were located in the distant hamlet of Lukeville on the first weekend of August, according to Tucson sector head John Modlin, who stated that 533 people from 17 different nations were sighted.
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Despite this, “smugglers continue to use disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals,” according to Troy Miller, acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection. “We remain vigilant and will continue to adjust our operational plans in order to maximize enforcement efforts against those individuals who do not use lawful pathways or processes,” he said.
The Border Patrol conducted 132,652 stops along the southern border in July, up from 99,545 in June but down from 181,834 in July 2022. Despite widespread expectations of an increase in crossings following the May 11 expiration of pandemic-related asylum limitations, June had the second-lowest number of crossings during Biden’s administration due to stricter regulations governing the granting of asylum to those who cross the border illegally.
The most current numbers also show a significant increase in the number of persons utilizing the government’s CBP One smartphone app to make appointments to request for asylum at land crossings with Mexico. In July, almost 50,000 migrants were lawfully admitted via legitimate ports of entry, including over 44,700 with CBP One appointments.
A large number of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans with financial supporters were also allowed at an airport by US authorities. Since the commencement of humanitarian parole for those countries last year, more than 72,000 Haitians, 63,000 Venezuelans, 41,000 Cubans, and 34,000 Nicaraguans have been vetted and permitted to come to the United States. A trial in Victoria, Texas, to challenge the program’s eligibility for those countries is expected to begin next week, brought by Texas and other Republican-led states.
Despite a slight decline in the number of migrants entering the United States from South America in May and June, the country’s borders remain insecure. Almost 252,000 individuals have entered Panama from Colombia through the Darien Gap, a forested mountain range that links Panama and Colombia. That was higher than the previous record set in 2022.
In the first seven months of this year, almost 55% of migrants in Darien were Venezuelan. The others were largely recent Asian and African immigrants, with a few Ecuadorians and Haitians thrown in for good measure. According to representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and some UN agencies, many of those crossing are either mislead by migrant traffickers or are unaware of changes in US policy.
The Panamanian administration has expressed its concern with the growing number and its disappointment in Colombia for failing to act.
More information was given by Juan Zamorano of the Associated Press in Panama City.
