DHS: Trump’s Border Controls Keep 88.1K Illegal Aliens Out of U.S. During Coronavirus Crisis

President Trump’s border controls have kept at least 88,100 illegal aliens from entering the United States through the U.S.-Mexico border since late March, newly released figures reveal.

On March 21, Trump implemented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Title 42 order, which gives federal immigration officials broad authority to immediately return illegal aliens over public health concerns.

Newly released figures provided by the Trump administration show that from March 21 to June 15, at least 88,100 illegal aliens were prevented from entering the U.S. at the southern border.

A senior administration official told Fox News:

If not for this effort, tens of thousands of aliens acting as potential carriers for the coronavirus would have continued to enter law enforcement facilities near the border in congregate settings, making our Southwest border a major vein for coronavirus outbreak.

Due to this health risk, the U.S. border has never been more secure. Migrants should continue to shelter-in-place in their homes and communities, rather than attempting a long and dangerous journey to the United States border where they will continue to be promptly removed and returned.

Title 42 has also allowed federal immigration officials to quickly return illegal aliens at record times. On average, officials are deporting illegal aliens in less than two hours of being encountered.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan has said that about 95 percent of illegal aliens are being instantly deported from the U.S.

From January 1 to March 21, before the implementation of Title 42, federal immigration officials were apprehending about 7,000 to 9,000 un-screened illegal aliens a day. This is the population equivalent of 2.5 Diamond Princess cruise ships.

The official said:

If not for the tools already put in place by the administration, including the Migrant Protection Protocols, the outlook at the Southwest border would have been wholly untenable under a continuation of the crisis-level migrant flows witnessed in 2019. The reforms put forth over the past two years means we are better prepared for the unprecedented public health challenge taking place at our border today.

This is the first time in U.S. history that the CDC’s Title 42 has been applied to illegal aliens. In the past, the order has only applied to foreign imports.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.