(USNewsBreak.com) – Over the last few years, the migrant situation at the Southern Border has escalated into a sheer crisis. More than eight million illegal crossings have occurred since 2021, according to The Center Square, placing a significant burden on state and federal agencies. December 2023 saw the highest-ever recorded number of illegal migrants entering the US, and it’s a problem that seemingly isn’t going anywhere.
Numbers Continue to Rise
At the end of December, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the boundary with Mexico had encountered more than 276,000 migrants in December alone. More than 230,000 of them were illegal entries — in just one month. For the first quarter of FY2024, the number exceeded 760,000, the highest ever recorded in the US. As Melugin expressed it, “That’s a population size bigger than Seattle in just three months.”
The figure beat the previous monthly record of illegal immigrants processed in between entry ports. That was 224,000 in May of 2022.
Customs and Border Protection Response
Most immigrants processed last month entered through two main sectors: Del Rio, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona. Each day saw between 2,000 and 3,000 immigrants crossing into the US unlawfully. In response, CBP has dispatched agents to those hard-hit regions. In a statement, the agency said that while “encounter numbers continue to fluctuate,” it is continuing to “remain vigilant and stand ready to ensure the safety” of everyone involved, according to CBS News.
Biden Administration Woes
With the 2024 election less than a year away, President Biden is facing woes of epic proportions. When he took office, he reversed many of the immigration policies from the previous administration, which Conservatives say has contributed to the dire situation at the border.
It’s not just border states experiencing hardships, either. Republican Governor Greg Abbott (TX) and former Governor Doug Ducey (R-AZ) have shipped migrants to Blue states and sanctuary cities, placing an enormous burden on them as well. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) has already called on the federal government to help with the influx. In December, a 5-year-old child died in a shelter in Chicago, prompting even more calls to the federal government. Designers targeted that particular shelter to house 1,000 migrants, but in December, it housed more than 2,300.
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