Migrants are still streaming into U.S. ports of entry in near-record numbers, new federal data shows.
More than 117,000 migrants were encountered at official ports of entry in June. according to New border data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The figures are little changed from the roughly 119,000 reported in May and the all-time high of 121,696 in August 2023, drawing criticism from Republicans that the Biden administration, which recently announced executive orders to crack down on illegal border crossings, is simply creating a “politically unembarrassing” route for foreigners to enter the United States. (Related: ICE cites Biden administration policies as reason for release of illegal immigrant accused of murdering teenage girl)
When President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, fewer than 20,000 migrants were encountered at ports of entry, according to CBP data.
“Another month sees inadmissible aliens enter the United States and be released — all at the invitation of President Biden and impeached Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas,” said House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, D-N.Y. statement Monday in reaction to the new border numbers.
LUKESVILLE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 8: As of December 8, 2023, the international port of entry between the United States and Mexico remains closed in Lukeville, Arizona. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
“Their strategy is now clear to all: funnel as many illegal immigrants into the country as possible between ports of entry, and then create illegal mass parole programs like CBP One and CHNV to allow inadmissible aliens into the country, but in a less politically embarrassing and less damaging way,” Green continued.
As the migration crisis continues and surveys point to the issue as a weak spot in his reelection bid, President Joe Biden announced an executive order in early June aimed at controlling the number of illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Under the provisions of the plan, the executive order will temporarily suspend the entry of foreign nationals who cross the southern border if the number of encounters at the border exceeds a daily average of 2,500 during any one-week period. The rule will remain in effect for up to two weeks after the seven-day average falls below 1,500.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has touted the executive order as an effective way to ease the passage of illegal immigrants between ports of entry. speech In late June, Mayorkas said the number of encounters with Border Patrol had fallen by 40% since the order was issued and claimed the rate at which Border Patrol directly removed aliens had “nearly doubled.”
According to CBP data, illegal crossings at ports of entry have declined since the executive order was put into effect: Border Patrol agents encountered fewer than 88,000 illegal immigrants in June, down sharply from the more than 121,000 encounters reported in May.
Despite the decline in illegal border crossings, CBP’s latest data shows that the number of aliens presenting at ports of entry remains very high, due in part to migrants taking advantage of several mass parole programs.
Approximately 500,000 foreign nationals have been released to the United States through the Humanitarian Parole Program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (commonly known as CHNV). according to House Homeland Security Committee. Additionally, more than 680,500 appointments have been booked via the CBP One app since January 2023.
“If Biden and Mayorkas want to take responsibility for the numerous shocking headlines about illegal immigration crimes and the massive numbers of people streaming across the border in the last month alone, that's fine,” Greene said Monday.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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