Nearly 9,000 migrants were arrested Wednesday after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, and many more are still coming despite the dangerous trek and the risk of deportation, according to The New York Times.
The U.S. Border Patrol in August arrested at least 91,000 migrants who entered the U.S. across the southern border in family groups, a record high, according to preliminary figures reviewed by The Washington Post. The previous one-month record of 84,486 arrests happened in May 2019 under the Trump administration.
Total border apprehensions dipped in May and June after the Biden administration rolled out new restrictions but have risen more than 30% in the months since, according to the report. An estimated 177,000 migrants were arrested at the border in August, according to the Post, up from 132,652 in July and 99,539 in June.
The surge is creating a humanitarian crisis. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams on Friday limited shelter stays to 30 days for single adult migrants, citing an influx of asylum seekers.
In Eagle Pass, Texas, local officials declared a state of emergency after nearly 6,000 migrants crossed from Mexico in to the U.S. in two days, overwhelming the city's resources.
"We are on pace for this to be the worst of the border crisis yet, and we've seen some doozies," Rep Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, told The Wall Street Journal Thursday.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday said the state was "overwhelmed" with migrants crossing over.
"Time and again, I've asked the Biden administration for assistance at the border, but instead, they have chosen to redirect resources to speed the release of migrants without the support and coordination our local communities deserve," said Hobbs.
"Arizona is being overwhelmed, and we can't afford to lose manpower at our ports of entry. I'm glad to deliver border security resources to our communities, but the federal government needs to do its job and take action to ensure our border is secure and the migration process is orderly and humane."
Brandon Judd, the head of the National Border Patrol Council, said the surge shows little signs of slowing.
He told the Times that 8,900 people were arrested on Wednesday and another 8,360 on Thursday.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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