REPORT: CBP Set to Report Migrant Apprehensions at All-Time High

Large groups of Central American migrants freely cross the Rio Grande near La Joya, Texas,
Photo: Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are set to report that Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 1.66 million migrants along the southwest border with Mexico in FY 2021, according to a report from The Washington Post. The record-breaking announcement is expected to include data showing that approximately 1.3 million of the total apprehensions occurred following changes in immigration and border security policies by the Biden Administration in January.

The Washington Post examined a CBP report expected to be released later this week showing the apprehension of migrants by Border Patrol agents between ports of entry spiked to 1.66 million in the recently ended fiscal year. This breaks the previous record of 1.64 million migrant apprehensions set in Fiscal Year 2000.

Breitbart Texas first reported a CBP source indicating the combined apprehension of 1.96 million migrants by Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection officers.

Of the nearly 1.96 million migrants encountered, more than 1.66 million, a new record for Border Patrol, were migrants apprehended by Border Patrol agents at the southern, northern, and coastal borders. This represents an increase of 310 percent over the previous year’s 405,000 migrants.

Single adult migrants accounted for more than 1.3 million of the total encounters, the report is expected to reveal.  This is up from just under 537,000 the year before — an increase of nearly 146 percent. Of those, more than 616,000 came from Mexico and nearly 315,000 came from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Family units accounted for the second-largest demographic of migrants encountered with just under 484,000 — an increase of more than 545 percent. More than 275,000 of those came from the Northern Triangle nations.

Encounters with Unaccompanied Minors also jumped by more than 333 percent. CBP officers and agents encountered more than 148,000 unaccompanied minors — up from only 34,000 the year before. Of those, more than 114,000 came from the Northern Triangle countries.

The numbers reported above do not include an estimated 400,000 migrant “got-aways.” The number is determined by counting migrants who ultimately escape apprehension after being observed by surveillance systems. Border Patrol agents also use traditional sign-cutting techniques to spot footprints. It is not a perfect investigative method, however, and sources say the actual got-away count is usually higher.

The Washington Post article confirms that the Rio Grande Valley Sector remains the busiest of the nine southwest border sectors with more than a half-million apprehensions. That was followed by the Del Rio Sector’s 259,000.

The official report is expected to be released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials later this week.

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 Facebook.

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