CBP reports record-high BORDER ENCOUNTERS in January 2024

02/20/2024 / By Ava Grace

Statistics released by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reveal a record number for migrant encounters in January 2024, surpassing figures for the same month in previous years.

As per data released by CBP on Feb. 13, Border Patrol agents reported more than 176,000 border encounters in January 2024. This number eclipsed the 157,358 border encounters recorded in January 2023, according to the Epoch Times.

Back in December 2023, Border Patrol tallied 249,785 arrests on the Mexican side – up 31 percent from the 191,112 arrests in November 2023 and up 13 percent from the 222,018 arrests in December 2022. According to CBP, this number fell more than half during the first two weeks of January. The agency previously said a crackdown by Mexican authorities contributed to this decline.

Moreover, Mexicans accounted for the most number of illegals arrested in December with 56,236 arrests. Venezuelans landed at second place with 46,937, while the number of Guatemalan arrests increased – putting them at No. 3. Hondurans and Colombians rounded out the top five nationalities arrested for that month.

Among the nine Border Patrol sectors on the Mexican border, Tucson, Arizona was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings with 80,105 arrests. The Del Rio, Texas sector – the focus of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s enforcement efforts – was second with 71,095 arrests. San Diego, where almost 6,000 Chinese border crossers were arrested, was a distant third.

“Southwest border encounters between ports of entry dropped by 50 percent in January,” said CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller. “We continue to experience serious challenges along our border, which surpass the capacity of the immigration system.” (Related: FBI wary of terrorists crossing the border illegally.)

U.S. continues to enforce immigration law – REALLY?

“The fact remains: The U.S. continues to enforce immigration law, and our borders are not open for those without a legal basis to enter the country,” the CBP stated in a press release accompanying its data.

But the actual situation on the ground paints a different picture, however. Thanks to the Biden administration and its open borders policy, Border Patrol agents have documented unprecedented levels of illegal immigration.

CBP personnel encountered more than 2.2 million illegals at the southern border during fiscal year (FY) 2022, and more than two million illegals during FY 2023. The Feb. 13 data also mentioned that Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 753,000 illegals in FY 2024, which began on Oct. 1, 2023.

Despite this, CBP has insisted that it “continues to expeditiously process and remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the country.” It also stressed that it is “cutting out ruthless smugglers who continue to spread falsehoods and show disregard for the safety and well-being of vulnerable migrants” and “targeting and disrupting transnational criminal organizations and smugglers who take advantage of and profit from migrants.”

“Since May 12, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2024, DHS has removed or returned over 520,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest border – including more than 87,000 individual family members,” the agency said.

“CBP’s message for anyone who is thinking of attempting to circumvent lawful pathways to enter the United States is simple: Don’t do it. When [illegal immigrants] cross the border unlawfully, they put their lives in peril.”

Watch Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) explain how President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “broke” the southern border below.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.