Southern border witnesses all-time high in migrant crossings last month

In September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported an unprecedented level of migrant encounters at the southern frontier.

The agency documented 269,735 instances in September alone, elevating the year’s total encounters to approximately 2.47 million by 2023.

A slight increase in migrant encounters was noted from the previous month, which saw 232,963 events in August. Notably, September 2023 experienced more encounters than any other month in the 2022 fiscal period, according to agency statistics.

Faced with escalating encounter rates along the southwest boundary, CBP augmented its measures, deploying additional resources and staff, as articulated by senior authority Troy Miller. He assured that the agency is committed to maintaining alertness, adapting operations as required, and upholding the statutes governing U.S. immigration.

The data indicate that most migrants attempting the crossing are single adults. In the fiscal epoch of 2022, crossings by single adults were reported to be around 1.6 million. Comparatively, the tally stood at 1.5 million as of October 13, 2023.

The year 2023 has witnessed a surge in the number of “family unit members” navigating the southern boundary, surpassing the entire count for the 2022 fiscal span. Family units constituted one-third of the encounters in the 2023 fiscal frame, an increase from the 23 percent recorded in the preceding year.

Addressing the nation, President Biden disclosed plans to seek $100 billion in emergency support for managing the challenges at the southern border and assisting international partners grappling with similar issues.

In his communiqué, Miller highlighted that the proposed emergency package is poised to significantly bolster their operations. This infusion of funds is expected to expand the workforce of CBP agents and officers, enhancing efforts ranging from handling border activities and migration to intercepting fentanyl and preventing the infiltration of harmful substances into local neighborhoods.