Border Facts: 55,113 ‘Family Units’ This Year So Far, 435% increase in May Compared to Last Year

U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions for fiscal year 2018 (October 1 – May 31) reveal a massive number of “family units” coming into the United States through the U.S. border with Mexico — 55,113 so far. And in May 2018 alone, 9,405 family units were apprehended, a 435 percent increase compared to May 2017.

“During the month of May, CBP saw a slight 1.9 percent increase overall when compared to April, but a 160 percent increase compared to May 2017,” the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (USCBP) website states.

“The number of family units increased by 435 percent, and the number of unaccompanied children (UAC) increased by 329 percent compared to May 2017,” the website states.

A family unit is defined as a one or two adults and a child or children.

And these huge numbers are just a fraction of those who do present themselves at ports of entry seeking entrance into the U.S. These figures represent illegal crossers who were apprehended.

“In May a total of 40,344 individuals were apprehended between ports of entry on our southwest border, compared with 38,278 in April and 37,385 in March. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, USBP apprehended 303,916 individuals along our southwest border.”

During the Obama administration the numbers were even higher — 408,870 in FY16, 331,333 in FY15, and 479,371 in FY14.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week addressed criticism from some clergy about adults who are apprehended and not detained with their children.

“The previous administration wouldn’t prosecute illegal aliens who entered the country with children,” Sessions said. “It was de facto open borders.”

“The results were unsurprising,” Sessions said. “More and more illegal aliens started showing up at the border with children.”

“To illustrate, in 2013, there were fewer than 15,000 family units apprehended crossing our border illegally between ports of entry. Five years later, it was more than 75,000—a five-fold increase in five years.”

“It didn’t even have to be their child—it could be anyone,” Sessions said. “You can imagine the horrible abuses that resulted.”

“The open borders, pro-amnesty crowd encouraged that—and they have the gall to attack those of us who want to end this lawlessness and the dangers these children face,” Sessions said.

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