According to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, US border agents encountered more immigrants in July than at any time in the past 21 years.
During a visit to Texas on Thursday, Majorcas said that 212,672 migrants were intercepted at the southern border last month—a 13% increase from the 188,000 migrants who attempted to cross the border into the United States in June.
The July figure was the highest level since March 2000, when more than 223,000 immigrants were intercepted by the Border Patrol.
Majorcas said at a press conference: “We have encountered an unprecedented number of immigrants between the ports of entry on the southern border.”
He emphasized that the surge in immigration is “not new,” but admitted that it is “one of the toughest challenges we face.”
The total number of border encounters since January has now exceeded 1.1 million, which is More population than San JoseCalifornia-the tenth largest city in the United States.
Majorcas said on Thursday that worsening conditions in the country of origin, including poverty and corruption, are one of the reasons why more migrants arrive at the border than in previous years.
He said that another reason was to end the “cruel policies” of the former president. Donald TrumpManagement.
President Joe Biden It overturned many tough immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration, signed an executive order to freeze the construction of the border wall, and reunited families separated by the “zero tolerance” policy in 2018.
Biden also stopped the deportation of unaccompanied immigrant children under Section 42, which is a public health law that allows rapid deportation of people – otherwise they will be held at ports of entry or border patrol stations – out of concerns about the coronavirus .
But Biden and the vice president Kamala Harris As the number of immigrants continues to increase, they urge people not to go to the U.S. border. In addition, Biden recently extended Trump’s Article 42 policy for single adults and families indefinitely.
“Don’t come,” Harris warned during his first international trip to Guatemala earlier this summer.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Republicans criticized the government’s approach to the border crisis. Earlier this week, Rep. Andy Biggs began impeaching Mayorkas for allegedly messing up the border crisis.
“Secretary of State Majorcas poses a threat to our country’s sovereignty and security,” the Arizona lawmaker wrote in a statement. “Because of his actions and policies, the United States today is more dangerous than when he started as Secretary of State. He deliberately refuses to maintain operational control of the border and encourages foreigners to enter our country illegally.”
Weekly newspaper Contacted the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for more comment, but did not receive a response before publishing.
