On Thursday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released updated statistics concerning illegal border crossings and narcotics seizures at the southwest border for May 2024.
Border Patrol agents encountered more than 117,900 migrants between ports of entry at the southwest border in May, the CBP monthly update reports.
Although the figure represents about a nine percent decrease in encounters from April, and is far below the three-year high of over 300,000 migrants found crossing the border illegally in December 2023, monthly migrant apprehensions remain at levels several times higher than throughout the Trump administration.
[RELATED: Biden Admin Offers ‘mass amnesty’ to migrants, Terminating 350,000 Asylum Cases: NYP…]
Notably, in May, encounters at ports of entry — the legal and controlled process for crossing the border into the U.S. — accounted for just 31 percent of total encounters at the southwest border.
Border encounters through May in fiscal year 2024 total nearly 1.7 million.
Under the Biden administration’s parole program for Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants that launched in January 2023, roughly 462,000 migrants have entered the U.S. on commercial airline flights as of last month.
CBP stated that the parole program is part of the Biden administration’s strategy “to combine expanded lawful pathways with stronger consequences to reduce irregular migration,” and to reduce the number of migrants that rely on smugglers to cross the border.
According to CBP, preliminary data from the two weeks since President Joe Biden’s executive order aimed at curtailing the number of illegal border crossers receiving asylum show a 25 percent decrease in encounters with migrants between ports of entry.
“In close coordination with U.S. and foreign partners, CBP continues to take strong enforcement efforts against transnational criminal organizations at our borders and beyond, “ Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said Thursday. “Our enforcement efforts are continuing to reduce southwest border encounters.”
“But the fact remains that our immigration system is not resourced for what we are seeing,” Miller continued. “The dedicated men and women of CBP will continue to prioritize national security and disrupt criminal networks, while maximizing consequences for unlawful entry, including detention, prosecution, and removal under recently announced executive actions to further secure the border.”
In terms of narcotics seizures, CBP reported a large increase in the amount of illegal drugs seized in May over previous months.
Nationwide seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana in May increased by 29 percent over April.
Fentanyl seizures nationwide last month increased by 70 percent from April, and CBP reports that in fiscal year 2024 to date over 13,700 pounds of fentanyl has been seized, with nearly all of those seizures occurring at the southwest border.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="28809 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=28809">4 Comments
Encounters are down because they are picking them up in a foreign country and flying the illegals here.
The bright bulbs in the Democratic leadership, Cheilee, King , Juard, and the Governor don’t give a dan about the drugs or a 12 year old found dead under a Texas bridge.
those seizures occurring at the southwest border.. Now that has nothing with the OPEN BOARDER policy of THR DEMOCRATIC party Right Joe . OR all the crimes comitted in Maine and not reported Gov.
Still do not have the 4 shooter in Saco for example!!!
Encounters down? They must be letting them through while they sit there and watch, without trying to stop them.