As border surge continues to worsen, increase marks 317% surge over August 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — "The U.S. Customes & Border Patrol apprehended 208,887 illegal aliens in August, 317% increase from August 2020 and a 233% increase from August 2019. The southern border is our first line of defense against those who mean us harm. This admin's leaving us vulnerable on purpose," said Texas Cong. Brian Babin in a tweet covering the most recent August 2021 number of apprehensions released by the U.S.
The 208,887 illegal immigrants that agents encountered in August are the second consecutive month with over 200,000 "encounters." Agents apprehended 212,672 migrants in July, the first time in 21 years that encounters rose above the 200,000 figure, a Dept. of Homeland Security official told Fox News on Wednesday, as migrant encounters have been sharply rising for months during the Biden presidency.
The 208,887 number for August represents a 317% increase over last August 2020 – which saw 50,014 encounters by U.S. Customes & Border Patrol – and a 233% increase over August 2019, where there were 62,707 amid that year's border crisis.In December 2020, during the weeks before Biden took office, encounters stood at just 74,000.
And additionally, according to a leaked audio obtained by Fox News' Bill Melugin through a Border Patrol source, President Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (at right, with President Biden signing Exec. Order in the White House Oval Office on Jan. 2021 reversing President Donald Trump's Immigration Policies,) recently claimed that the Biden Administration is "going to lose" the border crisis if the "unsustainable" numbers of migrants currently flooding across the border continue to pour into the United States.
Mayorkas's remarks came during a private meeting with Border Patrol agents in Texas around the same time he announced that U.S. Customes & Border Patrol apprehended roughly 213,000 illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border during July.
"A couple of days ago I was down in Mexico, and I said look, you know, if, if our borders are the first line of defense, we're going to lose and this is unsustainable," said Mayorkas in the leaked audio obtained by Fox News.
"We can't continue like this, our people in the field can't continue and our system isn't built for it."
Mayorkas also told the agents that the federal government's system was not designed to handle such a massive influx of immigrants as the U.S. has seen in recent months – after President Biden's reversal of President Trump's stong Border Security measures, adding that he was "very well" aware that the sector recently came close to "breaking."
"We can't continue like this, our people in the field can't continue and our system isn't built for it."
Mayorkas also told the agents that the federal government's system was not designed to handle such a massive influx of immigrants as the U.S. has seen in recent months – after President Biden's reversal of President Trump's stong Border Security measures, adding that he was "very well" aware that the sector recently came close to "breaking."
"It’s our responsibility to make sure that that never happens again," he said.While visiting the Texas Border, Mayorkas said, "The extent of the challenge should not be understated, but nor should our ability to meet it," he said.
In August, 49% of apprehensions were single adults, down 7% from July, and 44% were expelled via the Title 42 Public Health Protections put in place during President Trump's Administration.
The Biden Administration has been expelling single adults and some migrant families under the order, implemented due to COVID-19, but has not been expelling unaccompanied children or migrant families with young children.
- There were 18,847 encounters of Unaccompanied Children in August, down slightly from July,
- and 86.487 encounters of family units, marking a 4% increase over July.
Biden has also ordered Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) to curtail its activities domestically, and has pushed hard for legalization of illegal immigrants already in the country.
President Biden has been releasing migrants into the interior, processing Unaccompanied Children to sponsors already in the country and releasing migrant families.
Secretary Mayorkas said the administration intended to continue with its border strategy, which he said involves rebuilding "safe, legal and orderly pathways for migrants," improving processing, and going after smugglers.
"We have a plan, we are executing our plan and that takes time," he said last month when he announced the July border numbers.
"We have a plan, we are executing our plan and that takes time," he said last month when he announced the July border numbers.
Former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said he blamed President Biden for rescinding the Trump Administration's policies – prompting the drammatic influx of illegal immigrants."The Obama Administration famously believed that 1,000 apprehensions a day constituted a crisis, and we've now hit seven times that number," said Wolf.
"This administration must be held accountable for its failed border strategy, and Congress must reject amnesty as part of the infrastructure debate currently raging in the House and Senate."
"This administration must be held accountable for its failed border strategy, and Congress must reject amnesty as part of the infrastructure debate currently raging in the House and Senate."
The Biden Administration was dealt a significant legal blow recently when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to delay an order that will now force the Biden Administration to re-implement the Trump Administration Migrant Protection Protocols – the policy returning and keeping migrants in Mexico as they wait for their immigration plea hearings to take place, which are now most often delayed for up to four years or more.
