On September 15, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released data on the number of encounters (previously known as apprehensions) made along the Southwest border in August. The data show border authorities encountered 208,887 illegal aliens, making it the second month in a row with more than 200,000 encounters. Of the 208,887 encountered migrants, 93,414, or 44 percent, were removed from the country per Title 42, which allows authorities to expel foreign nationals back to their home countries for public health concerns.
The data also show that of the total number of migrants encountered in August, 52,221 – or 25 percent – had at least one prior encounter with border officials in the past 12 months. Compared to the 14 percent re-entry rate between fiscal years 2014 – 2019, the border policies implemented by President Joe Biden have encouraged illegal aliens to make multiple attempts to enter the United States illegally.
While the August figures are slightly lower than the July, by no means is the border crisis under control. Given the scant personnel and resources available, one must wonder how many migrants were able to sneak into the U.S. and evade capture due to border agents being bogged down with processing other illegal aliens?
Additionally, the Biden administration has yet to take steps to fully reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), the policy requiring migrants to wait in Mexico until their asylum claim is processed. This policy alone helped CBP officials maintain reasonable control of the southern border, as migrants with meritless asylum claims were not allowed into the U.S. MPP deterred many economic migrants from attempting to reach our border and others to abandon their bogus asylum applications and return to their home countries.
Fortunately, the Biden administration has kept the Title 42 protections in place that allow them to turn away migrants with coronavirus. However, unaccompanied alien minors and most migrant families are no longer subject to expulsion, reducing the effectiveness of the public health directive. It makes no sense to allow any COVID-positive migrants to enter the U.S. and potentially spread the virus.
The border security and sovereignty interests of the American people far outweigh those of immigration lawbreakers. It’s only a matter of time before our border is completely overwhelmed as a result of policy directives coming from the Oval Office.
