National

Data: U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals 

Border Patrol agents set an all-time monthly record in May with nearly 223,000 migrant apprehensions at the southwest border, according to recently released U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

Why it matters: The data underscores the ongoing logistical, humanitarian and political challenges facing President Biden at the border. Sustained Mexican migration, new flows from farther-flung nations like Ukraine and an increase in multiple attempted crossings are driving the unprecedented numbers.

By the numbers: With four months left, border officials have processed migrants 1.5 million times this fiscal year — putting the government on track to surpass last year's record high.

Migrants have now been rapidly expelled more than 2 million times since the controversial Title 42 policy was enacted in March 2020, citing COVID-19 public health concerns.

The use of Title 42 has likely contributed to the uptick in people trying multiple times to cross the border. One in four encounters at the border last month was with migrants who had tried to cross at least one other time in the year before, according to CBP.

Between the lines: New, historic migration trends throughout the hemisphere continue to bring a far more diverse population seeking entry into the U.S. on foot.

For example, during the 2019 surge, 64% of encounters at the southwest border were with migrants from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador. 

Those nationalities have made up just 23% of encounters so far this fiscal year.

Mexican nationals remain the largest single nationality arriving at the border, but people have increasingly fled from more distant home countries like Cuba, Colombia and Nicaragua — and even as far as India and Russia.

The top countries of origin for encounters at the border in May were Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Nicaragua and Haiti, according to the Washington Office on Latin America's Adam Isacson.

Border agents set new record amid historic migrant trends

The data underscores the ongoing logistical, humanitarian and political challenges facing Biden at the border

Immigration

Border Patrol agents set an all-time monthly record in May with nearly 223,000 migrant apprehensions at the southwest border, according to recently released <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Customs and Border Protection data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-may-2022-monthly-operational-update" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-may-2022-monthly-operational-update" target="_blank">U.S. Customs and Border Protection data</a>.Why it matters: The data underscores the ongoing logistical, humanitarian and political challenges facing President Biden at the border. Sustained Mexican migration, new flows from farther-flung nations <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="like Ukraine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/25/ukrainians-russians-border-immigration-asylum-title-42" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/25/ukrainians-russians-border-immigration-asylum-title-42" target="_self">like Ukraine</a> and an increase in multiple attempted crossings are driving the unprecedented numbers.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

A migrant woman tried to take her own life this month while waiting in a shelter in Monterrey, Mexico, for a U.S. asylum decision — the first known suicide attempt of Joe Biden's presidency under the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" program he was forced to restart, Axios has learned. 

What we're watching: Biden officials are awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision they hope will allow them to end a program that advocates say places migrants at risk. The ruling could come as soon as tomorrow.

The big picture: "[S]ituations like this highlight the endemic flaws" of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Axios.

While the administration has said it would improve protections for enrollees in MPP, this incident reflects the stresses migrants still endure while waiting — and holes in a system intended to catch red-flag cases.

Between the lines: MPP is one of several Trump-era immigration policies that Biden had tried to disband — such as the Title 42 public health order — but kept in place due to court intervention or potential backlash from within his party. 

By the numbers: So far, at least 5,600 asylum seekers have been returned to Mexico since the MPP program was forced to restart in December, according to the UN International Organization for Migration's (IOM) count, provided to Axios.

By comparison, the Trump administration returned about 70,000 asylum seekers to Mexico to wait out court hearings between the start of MPP in January 2019 and the program's suspension after Biden took office.

Details: The woman who attempted suicide has since been treated in a hospital and brought into the U.S. under medical parole, according to an internal U.S. document viewed by Axios.

The woman had a history of mental health issues, including previously attempting suicide, Jeremy MacGillivray, deputy chief at IOM Mexico, told Axios.

MacGillivray said screening protocols in the U.S. should be strengthened to prevent people with similar mental health situations from being forced into the program.

It was not immediately known what migration path the woman had taken to seek entry at the U.S.-Mexico border.

What they're saying: "DHS is aware of this incident and acted quickly to remove the individual from MPP once notified of the situation," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Axios.

"While DHS is committed to mitigating the harms associated with MPP as much as possible, situations like this highlight the endemic flaws that Secretary Mayorkas identified with MPP in his termination memos."

"As required by a court order, DHS is reimplementing MPP in good faith while appealing that court order."

What we're hearing: The news of the attempted suicide rattled other women in the shelter who messaged trusted advocates to share their concerns.

"It really shows the psychological damage that this program inflicts on people," one advocate familiar with the situation told Axios on the condition of anonymity.

The news comes as Reuters reports three other asylum seekers placed in the MPP program were kidnapped in April.

How we got here: President Biden has been forced by the courts to resume MPP after ending the controversial Trump-era program in February 2021. 

The policy has been lambasted by Democrats, international organizations such as IOM and immigration advocates for putting migrants at risk.

As it continues efforts to end MPP, the Biden administration has promised to make the program safer. It has used MPP less aggressively than the previous administration, offered vaccines and exempted some vulnerable migrants.

Still, some migrants placed in the program continue to face physical and psychological danger. 

Asylum seekers recently placed into the program are being sent to several shelters in Monterrey more than any other city — often transferred by IOM from other cities closer to the border such as Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros.

Conditions at the shelters vary, according to Savitri Arvey, a policy adviser for the Migrant Rights and Justice program at the Women’s Refugee Commission, who recently visited the shelters.

Arvey told Axios she met a handful of asylum seekers who should have been exempt and never sent back to Mexico, according to recent guidance.

The bottom line: "People on MPP we serve suffer from anxiety, stress, and a sense of hopelessness, and often, helplessness," said Blanca Lomeli, director of the Mexican branch of the refugee group HIAS, which provides mental health and other services to migrants throughout Mexico.

"The reality is that the prolonged stay in Mexico is negatively impacting their mental health," Lomeli added, 

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Trump-era Remain in Mexico program under new scrutiny

A migrant woman tried to take her own life earlier this month while waiting in a shelter in Mexico, Axios has learned.

A Remain in Mexico protester in front of the Supreme Court

A demonstrator protests against the Remain in Mexico policy outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Asylum seekers

After the ruling: Americans ask Google how to move to Canada

Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy in Canada.

Abortion

Google searches for “how to move to Canada from U.S.” surged on Friday following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, according to Google Trends data.Why it matters: Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy in Canada.

Data: Google Trends; Map: Jacque Schrag and Will Chase/Axios

Search interest in gas prices has risen steeply in the U.S. as the national average hit an unprecedented $5 per gallon on June 11, new Google Trends data shows.

Driving the news: "Gas prices" was in the top three most searched topics in 121 out of 435 congressional districts during the week of June 6-13, according to data Axios'  midterms dashboard.

Interest was highest in the Midwest, near the Great Lakes, and in parts of the southwest.

"Gas prices" was one of the 5 most-searched topics in 274 districts — up from just 22 districts at the end of May.

National interest in "firearms" remains high. It was one of the top searches in 345 districts.

For the first time since the conflict began, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is no longer in the top five most-searched topics in the U.S.

Why it matters: These findings reflect Americans' focus turning toward domestic issues — and continued pressure on the Biden administration to alleviate the pain at the pump. 

Go deeper: 5 top ways to save on high gas prices

Mapped: "Gas prices" searches rise on Google

As the 2022 midterms approach, Axios is tracking what topics are trending.

2022 elections

A choropleth map of the U.S. showing search interest in "gas prices."

Search interest in gas prices has risen steeply in the U.S. as the national average hit an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unprecedented $5 per gallon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/11/gas-prices-5-per-gallon" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/11/gas-prices-5-per-gallon" target="_self">unprecedented $5 per gallon</a> on June 11, new Google Trends data shows.Driving the news: &quot;Gas prices&quot; was in the top three most searched topics in 121 out of 435 congressional districts during the week of June 6-13, according to data Axios&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="midterms dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care/" target="_self">midterms dashboard</a>.

The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence arm said in a memo on Friday that domestic violent extremism is "likely" in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Why it matters: Violence could take place in multiple locations for weeks as states make changes to their abortion laws, according to the memo, which was obtained by Axios. 

Details: Government officials — including Supreme Court justices — are likely those most at risk, the memo said. It cites recent attacks by the abortion-rights group known as Jane's Revenge as well as an alleged plot to kill U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The memo also lists reproductive health care facilities and faith-based organizations as potential targets for acts of violent extremism. 

The intelligence agency says it is aware of arson attacks by both anti-abortion rights and abortion-rights activists targeting pregnancy resource centers and health care facilities as well as "at least 11 incidents of vandalism threatening violence targeting religious facilities perceived as being opposed to abortion."

The document was said to be shared with state and local Homeland Security personnel, law enforcement, first responders and private sector partners. The assessment was based on a rise in violence following the earlier leak of a draft Supreme Court decision. 

The big picture: Abortion-related attacks have already been on the rise, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez writes.

Assaults directed at abortion clinic staff and patients increased 128% in 2021 compared to 2020, according to a recent report. 

What they're saying: "Americans’ freedom of speech and right to peacefully protest are fundamental constitutional rights. Those rights do not extend to violence and other illegal activity," a DHS spokesperson told Axios.

"DHS will continue working with our partners across every level of government to share timely information and to support law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe.”

Go deeper: Here's what happens now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade

DHS memo: Violent extremism "likely" in wake of Roe v. Wade decision

The violence could continue for "weeks," DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis says.

Thousands of abortion-rights activists gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court after the Court announced a ruling in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization case

Abortion-rights activists gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 

The Department of Homeland Security&#x27;s intelligence arm said in a memo on Friday that domestic violent extremism is &quot;likely&quot; in response to the Supreme Court&#x27;s decision to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="overturn Roe v. Wade" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-aftermath-abortion-supreme-court" data-vars-content-id="d95ad411-d8c0-4ecf-a614-7538b2e93adc" data-vars-headline="DHS memo: Violent extremism &quot;likely&quot; in wake of Roe v. Wade decision" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-aftermath-abortion-supreme-court" target="_self">overturn Roe v. Wade</a>.Why it matters: Violence could take place in multiple locations for weeks as states make changes to their abortion laws, according to the memo, which was obtained by Axios.

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Stories

After the ruling: Americans ask Google how to move to Canada

DHS memo: Violent extremism "likely" in wake of Roe v. Wade decision

Trump-era Remain in Mexico program under new scrutiny

Border agents set new record amid historic migrant trends

Mapped: "Gas prices" searches rise on Google