U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports more than 100,000 “encounters” in February — up 28 percent from January.
The agency adds that 25,000 of the latest crossers show prior apprehension records.
The Houston Chronicle reported that the Biden Administration is downplaying the surge in migration:
The Biden administration acknowledged some responsibility for the surge on Wednesday, saying it is at least in part attributable to the hope offered by his administration’s shift to a more “humane” immigration system.
But officials stressed the administration is still turning away the vast majority of migrants who arrive, and blamed the Trump administration for pushing policies that “didn’t just neglect our immigration system, they intentionally made it worse.”
The new figures come as outlets including the New York Times and CBS News report that the number of migrants apprehended at the border has tripled in the last two weeks.
“We’ve seen surges before,” Roberta Jacobson, a former diplomat who is now Biden’s “border czar,” said at a White House press briefing on Wednesday. “Surges tend to respond to hope, and there was a significant hope for a more humane policy after four years of pent-up demand.”
Republicans, however, are pointing out how Biden’s reversal 0f Trump immigration policies yields a more inviting message.
“These numbers aren’t surprising at all — this is what you get when you incentivize illegal immigration like the Biden Administration is doing,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) said. “We can stop this by simply enforcing federal immigration laws and re-implementing the policies that discourage illegal immigration.”
“It’s a tragedy that could be completely avoided,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said at a press conference after the data were released. “This is the Biden border crisis. It is owned completely and entirely by President Biden and his administration.”
“The vast majority of encounters the Border Patrol reported in February — 71,598 — were with single adults, though the number of families and unaccompanied children grew rapidly from January,” the Chronicle reported. “Border Patrol reported encounters with 19,246 families, up from 7,399 the month before. The agency reported encounters with 9,457 unaccompanied children, up from 5,858 in January.”
Migrants reportedly see Biden’s election as a green light to come north.
“They see him as the migrant president, and so many feel they’re going to reach the United States,” Reuters reported Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said of Biden after he met virtually with his counterpart.
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter or send news tips to pstarr@breitbart.com
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