John Moore/Getty Images
More than 1,000 migrants wait in line to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico on December 18, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. A surge as many as 12,000 immigrants per day crossing the U.S. southern border has overwhelmed U.S. immigration authorities in recent weeks. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Washington
CNN
—
Federal authorities reported a seven-day average of more than 9,600 migrant encounters along the US southern border in December, according to a Homeland Security official, among the highest amounts ever recorded as the US wrestles with an unprecedented surge.
Authorities are apprehending record levels of migrants at the US southern border on a daily basis, stretching already overwhelmed resources. The seven-day average reported on November 28 was around 6,800 encounters.
Border apprehensions have been gradually increasing since the summer. Last month, border authorities apprehended about 192,000 migrants between ports of entry, a 2% increase compared with the 188,000 migrant apprehensions in October, US Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens previously told CNN.
But over recent days, more than 10,000 migrants have unlawfully crossed the US-Mexico border daily – numbers not seen since days before the lifting of a Covid-era restriction known as Title 42 that allowed authorities to turn back migrants at the border. What’s uniquely challenging about this moment is that multiple sectors – many of them remote – are overwhelmed so usual processes to try to decompress or to process migrants are more complicated and result in migrants waiting in droves to be taken into custody.
The lack of capacity and resources to address the issue is leading to the type of scenario US officials once planned for but hoped wouldn’t materialize, and some are warning that the US southern border is at a “breaking point.”
The worsening situation culminated this week in a call between US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to place pressure on Mexico to do more to stem the flow of migrants. Both agreed more enforcement is needed, and senior US officials will travel to Mexico in the coming days.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
