As the economy begins to rebound and the number of unemployed Americans begins to drop, the number of illegal aliens being apprehended at the Southwest U.S. border has steadily risen, now reaching back-to-average levels several months after the U.S. and Mexico imposed strict travel bans due to the COVID pandemic.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 38,347 illegal aliens were apprehended coming across the Southwest border illegally. The vast majority of those - 33,938, specifically – were single adults traveling without a family.
Conversely, only 2,419 were unaccompanied minors, and 1,990 were members of family units traveling together.
In addition, another 2,399 people were stopped trying to unlawfully cross through ports of entry.
Border apprehension numbers have surged since April, when only about 16,000 illegal aliens were caught crossing the border unlawfully, down from 109,415 in April of 2019. The massive drop was due largely to the coronavirus pandemic, which impacted international travel across the world and caused both Mexico and the U.S. to implement harsh restrictions on border travel into both countries. Since then, though, the numbers have steadily risen back to pre-pandemic averages, with border patrol making about 23,000 and 33,000 apprehensions in May and June, respectively.
Altogether, CBP reports border agents have caught 350,016 illegal aliens crossing the border or attempting to pass through ports of entry so far in 2020.