The southern border was busy on Dec. 5 as the United States set a new record with over 12,000 migrants crossing.
Unfortunately, many didn’t get far, as over 10,000 were immediately taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection for illegally crossing into the country between ports of entry. The new record increased by 2,000 as the previous number was set at 10,000 in May 2023 when migrants pushed the limits to get into the country before the end of Title 42, where the rules for how people would be processed were set to change.
Border Patrol has been overwhelmed by the number of migrants pouring in. One of the international bridges at Eagle Pass, TX, had to be closed between late November and early December with another crossing in Lukeville, AZ. However, the total amount of migr
ants attempting to enter the US is projected to be higher once the number of people who came to the Office of Field Operations for asylum appointments are booked through the CBP One app – going from 1,000 to 1,400 people seen daily.Because migrants need an appointment just to gain entry at certain entry ports, immigration lawyers say they aren’t surprised about the number of people crossing into the country illegally, especially in remote areas or where the border is not reinforced. “They normally would be able to walk up to the port of entry and ask to be processed, but the port of entry is close to all asylum seekers except those who are able to make an appointment through the CBP One mobile app,” Erika Pinheiro, executive director of migrant services at Al Otro, said.
“So they’re kind of forced to enter between ports of entry if they want to seek asylum in the United States, which is just creating a lot of chaos, both for the agency and also for the organizations trying to respond.”
Other cities, including New York and Chicago, have had busloads of migrants come in. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been pushing the Biden Administration for emergency aid, which has caused added friction on both sides of the political aisle. Republicans are calling for restrictions to be added on the asylum and parole systems that allow migrants to come into the states with no consequences. Democrats are willing to work with the GOP, but only if they agree to guarantee amnesty for some of the illegal migrants already in the country.