100K Migrants Apprehended Last Month — Highest Feb. Total Since 2006

Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 100,000 migrants in February who illegally crossed the Mexico-U.S. Border between ports of entry. The apprehensions reveal a jump of 26 percent from January and 170 percent from one year ago.

Border Patrol agents apprehended 98,974 migrants in February who illegally crossed the border in February, according to the Southwest Land Border Encounters Report released on Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. This represents a massive increase from the 78,323 apprehended in January and an even larger jump from February 2020 when agents apprehended only 36,687. The February 2021 apprehensions are the largest February report since 2006 when agents apprehended 125,046.

These apprehensions occurred during President Joe Biden’s first full month in office and follows his cancellation of border wall systems construction and many of the Trump-era policies that ended catch and release.

“The border is not open,” CBP Senior Officials Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy Miller said in his opening remarks in Wednesday’s unveiling of the Southwest Border Encounters report for February. He said their administration is building an “orderly process” and that people should not believe the human smugglers who are encouraging the current spike in illegal border crossings.

“The United States is continuing to strictly enforce our existing immigration laws and border security measures,” Mr. Miller continued. “Those who attempt to cross the border without going through ports of entry should understand that they are putting themselves and their families in danger, especially during the pandemic.”

Most concerning in these apprehend is the number of Unaccompanied Alien Children smuggled across the border and apprehended by Border Patrol agents. In January, agents apprehended 5,871 unaccompanied minors, official reports indicate. In February, that number climbed to 9,297, the CBP report states. This represents a single-month increase of 58 percent and a 166 percent jump from last February’s 3,490.

Miller said more than 3,000 of the unaccompanied minors are under the age of 12. The remaining minors are between 13 and 17 years of age.

The apprehension of 18,945 Family Unit Aliens in February also jumped from the previous month’s total of 7,490 and the 7,117 apprehended in February 2020.

The increased apprehensions in February represent the tenth straight month of increases in apprehensions. The previous low point came in April 2020 when apprehensions fell to 17,104.

More information regarding articles about the CBP’s previous Southwest Border reports can be found by clicking here.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.