The number of migrants apprehended by Border Patrol agents after they illegally crossed the southwest U.S. border with Mexico jumped by 138 percent from the low point in April. Apprehensions jumped 26 percent from June to July.
Border Patrol agents apprehended 38,347 migrants in July who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into the U.S. This represents an increase of 7,626 from the previous month (26 percent) and 22,185 from the historic low of 16,162 apprehensions in April (138 percent), according to statistics released on August 6 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
The more than 38,000 migrants apprehended by Border Patrol agents in July consisted of 33,938 single adults, 1,990 Family Unit Aliens, and 2,419 Unaccompanied Alien Children, the July Southwest Border Migration Report revealed. This represents significant increases in all three demographic categories.
Breitbart Texas asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan why the numbers turned around after bottoming out in April.
“It’s economics,” Morgan responded. “It’s all about jobs. It’s all about the better quality of life. We know that, its a fact. Anything else is a false narrative — hyperbole.”
“Prior to COVID, we ended ‘Catch and Release,'” Morgan explained. “We were still seeing numbers above a thousand per day.”
Morgan said at that time, the demographics shifted. Instead of most migrants coming as family units from the Central American Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, we then saw a shift to large numbers of single adults from Mexico, he explained.
“And then we have COVID,” Morgan continued. “What we saw initially with COVID and implemented travel restrictions, we saw the numbers go down.”
He said that despite COVID, now the numbers are going back up.
“Because it’s not about COVID. It’s about what it’s always been — it’s about economics, it’s about the economy,” the commissioner said. “As much as the economy in America is shut off, it’s by far worse in Mexico and it’s far worse in the Northern Triangle countries.”
“So what we have is, the cartels, as always, continue to exploit the migrants and tell them America’s opening up — there’s going to be jobs,” he stated. “As much as we may be going through a transition in this country, it’s worse in Mexico.”
“They’re (the cartels) saying it’s worth the risk,” Morgan concluded. “It’s about the economy and it’s always been about the economy.”
The Rio Grande Valley Sector in South Texas continues to lead the nation in apprehensions with 7,536 of the more than 38,000 migrants apprehended in July. That sector is followed closely by the Tucson, San Diego, Laredo, and El Paso Sectors with more than 5,000 each.
Despite the higher numbers for the past four months, apprehensions are still down dramatically from one year ago. In July 2019, Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 72,000 migrants along the southwest border with Mexico. This year’s apprehension of 38,347 migrants represents a decrease from last year of nearly 47 percent.
Morgan told Breitbart that most Mexican and Central American migrants are now nearly immediately expelled to Mexico under Title 42 Coronavirus protection protocols put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said 86-89 percent of Mexican nationals and Northern Triangle migrants, including unaccompanied minors, are expelled within two hours of their apprehension after a medical screening and criminal background investigation.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
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