Record number of migrants cross Mexico border – U.S. report

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Border patrol recorded over 200,000 cases of people attempting to enter the United States during the month of July, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“We are finding an unprecedented number of migrants between ports of entry on our southern border,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday at a news conference in Texas.

“The situation at the border is one of the most difficult challenges we are facing. It is complex, changing and affects vulnerable people at a time of a global pandemic.”

Immigrant arrivals to the United States declined sharply during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, but began to rebound later in 2020 and then spiked when President Joe Biden took office.

The latest figures show a shift away from seasonal trends. Hot summer weather typically lowers the number of migrants attempting to cross.

Border authorities also said the number of unaccompanied children rose 24% in July, to just under 19,000 over the preceding month.

A significant number of deportations during the pandemic has also contributed to “a higher than usual number of migrants making multiple border crossing attempts.”