EXCLUSIVE: May Sets Another FY2016 Monthly Apprehension Record

Brittany M. Hughes | June 17, 2016
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The recent surge of illegal aliens flooding across the Southwest U.S. border continues undeterred as U.S. Customs and Border Protection set a new FY2016 apprehension record in May, catching a grand total of 40,366 illegal aliens over the 31-day period – an average of about 1,302 apprehensions per day.

To put that into an annual perspective, CBP agents caught about 9,000 more illegal aliens during May of this year than they did during May of 2015, when 31,576 illegal aliens were apprehended.

Overall, the total number of all illegal alien apprehensions at the Southwest U.S. border so far in FY2016 is up roughly 19 percent from FY2015 numbers during the same time period.

CBP reported catching 2,231 more illegal aliens in May than they did in April, which until last month was the record-holder for monthly apprehensions so far in FY2016.

Thousands More Unaccompanied Children

Last month alone, border agents reported apprehending another 5,669 unaccompanied minors at the U.S. Mexico border in May, bringing the total number of UACs apprehended since Oct. 1 to an alarming 38,621.

So far, the total number of this year’s UAC apprehensions reflects a 69 percent increase over the number of illegal alien children apprehended during the same time frame in FY2015 (22,832 apprehensions). The apprehension totals of unaccompanied alien children reported in May is down 14 percent from FY2014 levels, primarily due to the fact that more than 10,500 illegal alien children came across the border during the month of May in 2014, dramatically spiking that year's apprehension totals and triggering national alarm over U.S. immigration policies and enforcement.

Before last month, FY2016 and FY2014 illegal alien children apprehension totals had remained relatively on par with one another.

CBP reports 676 of the unaccompanied children apprehended so far this year were from countries other than Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Of those, 167 -- about 25 percent -- came across the border in May.

An Increase in Family Units

The agency also reports it caught another 6,788 family units at the U.S.-Mexico border in May alone (about 219 per day), bringing the total number of family units apprehended so far in FY2016 to 44,520. That number is up 113 percent from FY2015 levels, and up 14 percent from FY2014.

Of those family units apprehended this year, 2,291 were from countries other than Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Subtracting family units and unaccompanied minors leaves more than 27,909 adult individuals who were caught illegally crossing into the United States during the month of May.

So far in FY2016, CBP reports having made 264,266 apprehensions at the Southwest U.S. border -- 51,149 more than CBP reports apprehending during the same time period last year, reflecting a roughly 19 percent increase.

Of those caught this year, CBP reports 133,042 are from countries other than Mexico.

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