In March, border patrol apprehended more than 171,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. This is the highest number of undocumented immigrants taken into custody under any administration since 2006.
Response from Biden administration
The Biden administration continues to battle scrutiny and criticism from the media and Congress members as the number of apprehensions is only expected to rise in the next few months. They also face backlash on keeping unaccompanied minors in holding cells over the legal limit of 72 hours.
Republicans say Biden’s “welcoming message” and public support for providing citizenship pathways are to blame for the surge at the border.
Biden punched back against that narrative earlier this month by sending a direct message to migrants attempting to enter the U.S.
“Don’t come over,” Biden said on Mar. 16. “Don’t leave your town or city or community.”
Border visits by Congress members
However, Republican members are keeping the pressure on Biden and highlighting the growing problems along the border. On Thursday, Republican senators joined border agents at the Reynosa bridge in the Texas Rio Grande area to examine items filled with drug paraphernalia.
“It is amazing how ingenious the drug smugglers are,” Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) said. “For example, thousands of coconuts were found to have drugs inside of them.”
President Biden and Vice President Harris have yet to visit the 2,000-mile-long border since entering the White House.
An unprecedented situation
There was a 99% increase in unaccompanied minors crossing into the U.S. from February to March. Customs and Border Patrol took in over 18,800 unaccompanied children and ran out of space.
“We are on pace to encounter more individuals on the southwest border than we have in the last 20 years,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
Recently, the Biden administration tapped into FEMA resources to help remedy the situation.
For more border updates, check this out.