
<p>The number of migrants detained at the US-Mexico border during the current fiscal year reached 2.1 million in August and is on track to hit 2.3 million by the end of the month. </p>



<p><strong>To compare, the total number of apprehensions during FY2021 was 1.7 million. </strong></p>



<p>Data from Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) shows 203,598 apprehensions during the month of August alone &#8211; including 181,160 individuals attempting to enter the country illegally and 22,437 individuals seeking entry through legal channels. The latter number represents a YOY increase of 37% and is likely a result of the Biden Administration&#8217;s decision to reverse Trump-era policies and streamline the way asylum claims are processed.</p>



<p>Roughly 22% of the August arrivals had a prior arrest in the past 12 months and most came from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. </p>



<p><strong>Here&#8217;s an estimated breakdown:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>25,000 from Venezuela ;</li><li>19,000 from Cuba ;</li><li>12,000 from Nicaragua ;</li></ul>



<p>Unlike most arrivals from Central America, border patrol agents are unable to reject most people from these nations thanks to their authoritarian governments. <strong>What this means is that these people are being released into the US while their ;asylum ;claims are processed. ;</strong></p>



<p>“Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba are driving a new wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere, including the recent increase in encounters at the southwest US border,” explains CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus. “Those fleeing repressive regimes pose significant challenges for processing and removal.&#8221;</p>



<p>To mitigate the effects of unchecked migration on border communities and draw Washington&#8217;s attention to the crisis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) in April started busing migrants to Democrat-run cities like New York and Chicago. </p>



<p>Lacking the resources to process the new arrivals (despite the city&#8217;s sanctuary status), Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has appealed twice to the National Guard for assistance. Both of her requests were ignored. </p>



<p>“Maybe, just maybe, they’ll see that what’s happening along our border every day is dangerous, unsustainable, and a problem that we need to work on together to address,” argues Texas Senator John Cornyn (R).</p>



<p>Unfortunately, Abbott&#8217;s strategy has had little impact and Democrats continue to act like there isn&#8217;t a problem. Speaking with NBC&#8217;s Chuck Todd on &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Vice President Kamala Harris claimed the southern border was &#8220;secure&#8221; and blamed the migration crisis on the Trump Administration. </p>



<p>&#8220;I think that there is no question that we have to do what the President and I asked Congress to do&#8230;pass a bill to create a pathway to citizenship,&#8221; said Harris. &#8220;The border is secure, but we also have a broken immigration system, in particular over the last four years before we came in, and it needs to be fixed.&#8221;</p>



<p>Todd responded by noting the escalating number of apprehensions at the border and asking Harris whether she was &#8220;confident&#8221; in saying the southern border was secure. ;</p>



<p><strong>Here&#8217;s what she said: ;</strong></p>



<p>&#8220;We have a secure border in that that is a priority for any nation including ours and our Administration but there are still a lot of problems that we are trying to fix given the deterioration that happened over the last four years. We also have to put in place a&#8230;law and a plan for a pathway for citizenship for the millions of people who are here.&#8221; ;</p>



<p>It is truly shocking that Harris and other Democrats blame the previous administration for the crisis at the border despite Trump&#8217;s historic efforts to strengthen border security. On top of that, establishing an easy pathway to citizenship will do nothing except cost Americans jobs and attract more immigrants. </p>



<p>In anticipation of a victory in November, a number of GOP lawmakers have already introduced articles of impeachment against President Biden for his mishandling of the border crisis (<a href="https://punchingbagpost.com/house-republicans-pursue-impeachment/">read more here</a>) and plan to move forward on Day One if Republicans win control of Congress. </p>



<p><strong>Sources:</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/annual-u-s-border-arrests-top-2-million-fueled-by-record-migration-from-venezuela-cuba-and-nicaragua/">Annual US border arrivals top 2 million, fueled by record migration from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua ;</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/19/us-border-patrol-arrests/">US arrests along Mexico border top 2 million a year for first time</a></p>

Migrant Encounters Eclipse 2 Million as Democrats Continue to Ignore Border Crisis
