Border Patrol: We’ve Now Arrested Over 1,000 African Migrants At Southern Border

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) provided an update on its recent apprehensions at the southern border, which include over 1,000 migrants from various African countries in less than two months — and that is in just one sector.

“U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector have arrested over 1,100 people from countries in Africa since May 30,” CBP revealed in a press release Friday.

“The apprehension of people from African countries illegally crossing our borders continues to increase,” Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz said in a statement included in the release. “Our agents this year have encountered people from 51 countries other than Mexico including 19 countries from the continent of Africa.”

“Del Rio Sector continues to see people from the continent of Africa illegally crossing the border into the United States,” the release states. “The majority of apprehensions have been in the Del Rio area, consisting mostly of family units and single adults. For fiscal year 2019 to date, Del Rio Sector’s total apprehensions are in excess of 44,000 illegal immigrants, already more than double the total number of arrests made during the previous fiscal year.”

The surge in migrants from Africa first started to make waves in early June, when multiple outlets reported on the eye-opening numbers.

“Hundreds of migrants from central African countries, including the Republic of Congo, Angola and Cameroon have been apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in the past month. Federal officials in Texas reported more than 500 people from African countries were arrested in less than a week,” NBC News reported at the time.

Among the first wave of African migrants was what immigration data indicated was “the largest single group of Africans ever seen by authorities at the southern border,” NBC noted. The group, which was arrested on May 31, consisted of 116 migrants from Angola, Cameroon, and the Republic of Congo. A few days later, another group of 30 Africans crossed over. Since those early reports, the numbers have continued to climb.

Below is the full press release on the surge in African migrants issued by CBP on June 5:

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station have arrested another group of 34 people from Africa. Del Rio Sector has seen a dramatic rise in the number of arrests of illegal immigrants from African countries over the past week.

“The introduction of this new population places additional burdens on processing stations, to include language and cultural differences,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “Our agents continue to meet each new challenge as the ongoing humanitarian crisis evolves.”

On June 5, agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station arrested a group of 34 people from the continent of Africa. Since May 30, more than 500 people from the continent of Africa have been arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in Del Rio Sector. Agents have encountered immigrants from Africa crossing the Rio Grande River in multiple separate events, including one group of over 100 individuals. These groups are primarily made up of family units from the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.

Del Rio Sector’s total apprehensions to date this year are in excess of 33,000, already more than double the total number of arrests made during the previous fiscal year. More than 27,000 of the individuals arrested this year, over 80 percent, are from approximately 38 countries other than Mexico.

All immigrants arrested are medically evaluated and are referred to medical professionals for more advanced care if needed.