A new monthly record for illegal crossings was set at the U.S.-Mexico border in November, according to numbers released by Customs and Border Protection.
CBP numbers released on Friday show that they recorded 242,418 encounters last month, the highest November ever and the third highest monthly total overall. The surge comes as Republicans press President Joe Biden to secure the border and Texas moves to start arresting illegal immigrants.
“CBP continues to execute its important mission to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity by implementing operational plans, surging personnel and decompressing areas along the southwest border while processing and vetting migrants who are encountered humanely, safely, and efficiently, consistent with our laws,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy Miller.
“We are facing a serious challenge along the southwest border and CBP and our federal partners need more resources from Congress — as outlined in the supplemental budget request — to enhance border security and America’s national security,” Miller added.
According to CBP, they conducted 391 rescues of individuals in danger during their attempted crossing into the U.S. in November.
“CBP’s message for anyone who is thinking of attempting to circumvent lawful pathways to enter the United States is simple: don’t do it. When noncitizens cross the border unlawfully, they put their lives in peril,” the agency said.
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House Homeland Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) ripped into the Biden administration over the numbers, saying they were hoping they would go unnoticed because of Christmas.
“By strategically holding the release of these numbers until the Friday before Christmas, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is unabashedly showing the full measure of his duplicity. These numbers are so bad, he wants as few Americans to see them as possible. And December’s numbers, which will be released in January, are anticipated to be even more grim,” Green said.
Green added that the committee would be initiating impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024.
The crossings remained high in December, with reporters being stunned at the number of people entering into the U.S. through Mexico. In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill this week that will allow state law enforcement officials to arrest people for illegally entering the state, an open challenge to the Biden administration which decried the law.