Republican lawmakers have found the increase in southern border arrests alarming, and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin) has already urged President Joe Biden to take responsibility for the increase in fentanyl seizures and border arrests.
August witnessed 200,000 attempted crossings, according to the Customs and Border Protection, which is much less than the all-time high number in July, but even then, it is much more than what has been seen in the past few years.
“This is what happens when @POTUS’ policies catch up with his rhetoric. Open borders are not a solution to dealing with the root causes of migration. This Administration must get a hold of the humanitarian crisis at our southern border,” McCaul tweeted.
Even though the numbers speak for themselves, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas tried to downplay it.
“Once again, we have a plan and we’re executing it. The situation doesn’t change with a flick of a switch, it requires a tremendous amount of work,” Mayorkas said during a fireside chat with ABC News.
On this note, Chad Wolf, the former president’s acting Homeland Security secretary, mentioned that if the current situation is not brought under control, then the Border Patrol agents are soon going to break down.
“President Biden’s failed border-security policies are simply unsustainable. The men and women of federal law enforcement cannot continue to deal with these crisis-level numbers. They are already overwhelmed and overburdened. The breakdown is coming,” Wolf said in a statement.
CBP data showed that 25% of the apprehensions are those of repeat offenders.
At the same time, the number of unaccompanied minors is at approximately 19,000 every month and has remained unchanged.
