CBP Report Shows Current Illegal Alien Surge Could Surpass FY2014 Numbers

Brittany M. Hughes | January 25, 2016
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Family unit apprehensions at the Southwest U.S. border are up 187 percent from the first three months of the last Fiscal Year, marking a disturbing trend in illegal immigration numbers that could surpass the now-infamous FY2014 border crisis, according to the most recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In its latest assessment, the agency reports it apprehended 21,469 illegal alien family units between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 of last year, the most recent data available. Given that CBP had only caught about 12,500 family units by the end of November, this means another 9,000 family units (42 percent) were caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in December alone.

On top of the massive and ever-increasing surge in illegal alien family units flooding into the country, the agency is also reporting a huge uptick in the number of illegal alien kids crossing into the United States illegally. As of Dec. 31, CBP states it had apprehended 17,370 unaccompanied minors at the border since Oct. 1 -- a 117 percent increase from the same time frame last fiscal year.

Of those, about 6,800 kids – roughly 40 percent – were caught in December.

If this trend continues, the number of illegal alien children crossing into the United States could easily meet or exceed the number of UACs that crossed the border in FY2014, when a tidal wave of illegal immigration gained national attention and numerous congressional investigations into U.S. border security and President Obama’s unilateral immigration policies. That year, CBP reported it apprehended 68,541 unaccompanied illegal alien children, even as Obama announced sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system that he vowed would decrease illegal immigration into the country.

But if CBP agents apprehend exactly as many UACs throughout the rest of FY2016 as they did during the first quarter, the agency will have caught about 69,500 children by the end of September – about 1,000 more than were caught in FY2014.

Likewise, if the tidal wave of illegal immigration isn’t slowed, border agents could apprehend at least 86,000 family units this fiscal year – a 20 percent increase over the roughly 68,500 the agency caught in FY2014.

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