Border crossings by migrant families hits record high
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Migrants waiting to be processed on the Ciudad Juarez side of the border on Sept. 21, 2023 in El Paso, Texas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
August brought another overwhelming wave of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border — including a record number of family members crossing illegally, according to government data released Friday.
Why it matters: After initial optimism that President Biden's new policies were working, immigration officials are again scrambling.
- Fellow Democrats are raising alarms as their cities struggle to provide shelter for the thousands of foreigners arriving from the border.
What's happening: 233,000 migrants and asylum seekers attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border last month without proper visas.
- 181,000 people crossed the border illegally last month — the highest monthly number since before pandemic policies were replaced by new carrot-and-stick measures in May.
- A record 93,000 family members crossed illegally.
Driving the news: Things haven't slowed down since August.
- For the first time since a historic wave leading up to the end of restrictive COVID policies, border crossings surpassed 10,000 in a single day on Wednesday, according to internal data obtained by Axios.
- The number includes migrants and asylum seekers crossing illegally as well as at legal entry points.
- The daily average for the past three weeks is now nearing 9,000 a day, according to the data.
Customs and Border Protection "remains vigilant in the face of ruthless smugglers and transnational criminal organizations who exploit vulnerable migrants," Troy Miller, a senior official serving as CBP commissioner, said in a statement.
- "Our operational tempo along the border has increased in response to increased encounters," he added.
Between the lines: The higher numbers have been driven in part by a surge in Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers fleeing a severely unstable economy and government at home.
- More than 31,000 Venezuelans crossed into the U.S. in August, with 70% choosing to do so illegally despite Biden's legal parole program specifically created for them.
- Many are risking the dangerous jungles of the Darién Gap separating Colombia and Panama.
- A startling 82,000 migrants took the often-deadly journey through the Darién last month. Nearly 63,000 of them were Venezuelans, according to Panamanian data.
- Venezuelans have long been a particularly challenging demographic. The country's authoritarian regime doesn't cooperate with U.S. efforts to deport Venezuelans — leaving U.S. officials few options once migrants arrive.
What to watch: The administration on Wednesday extended and re-designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status.
- That will allow Venezuelans who were already in the U.S. before the end of July to legally live and work in the U.S. for at least the next year and a half.
- The Biden administration has already expanded a program nationwide that allows officials to more rapidly deport families who do not qualify for asylum.
- It is also deploying 800 active duty military personnel to assist border officials — on top of the 2,500 National Guard troops already there.
The intrigue: For months, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) has blocked Biden from using funds to assist other countries in deporting Venezuelans before they reach the U.S.
- Menendez is now "temporarily" stepping down from the committee in the face of federal bribery charges.
