Border agents apprehended a record number of immigrants illegally crossing the southern border of the United States from Mexico for the month of November, The Washington Post reported.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 173,600 immigrants crossed the border illegally last month, a 5% increase over October. The figure is still below July’s high of 213,000, and the Post noted that some people likely were taken into custody more than once.
The figures show the Biden administration is still seeing massive numbers attempting to enter the country illegally as a record 1.7 million migrants were captured in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.
None of the numbers represent border crossers who elude border agents, something the Border Patrol calls a constant problem.
Republicans have blamed the surge of border crossings on President Joe Biden’s immediate reversal of former President Donald Trump’s border policies on day one of his administration, a move that migrants saw as an open-door policy for them to cross the border, according to many of Biden’s critics.
Biden also appointed Vice President Kamala Harris as his border czar, a job she has seemed reluctant to fully accept, having visited the border area only once in the months she’s had the job — and then only after repeated criticism from Republican lawmakers.
The Republican National Committee said in a statement that not only did November’s numbers represent a 140% increase over last November, but also a 221% increase from the average number of November apprehensions during the Trump administration.
”As Biden and Harris ignore, lie, and deflect blame on the crisis they created, the situation at the border worsens — November saw over 173,600 border apprehensions, the highest total for November in the history of the Department of Homeland Security,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said.
”Make no mistake — Biden’s open border policies created this crisis and his administration’s continued lies and encouragement have allowed cartels and criminals to thrive, threatening the safety of our communities,” she added.
”Until Biden accepts responsibility and takes this crisis seriously, the human costs will continue to be felt by Americans and law enforcement agents across the country.”
