Statistics of apprehensions by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency show that the number of unaccompanied, undocumented children and single adults entering the United States is on pace to top the previous three years' numbers.
The number of unaccompanied undocumented children was 29,729 in fiscal year 2021 through February, compared with 33,239 for the entire fiscal year 2020. Single adults who crossed the border have numbered 326,705 for fiscal year 2021, almost surpassing the entire previous year when 353,168 single adults were apprehended.
In fiscal year 2019, a total of 368,812 single adults were apprehended, and in fiscal year 2018 a total of 299,935 were apprehended, according to U.S. statistics.
Single adults who have been apprehended at the border from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and other countries also are on pace to reach unprecedented numbers. U.S. Customs has reported 326,705 single adults through February, compared to a total of 353,168 for fiscal year 2020 and 368,812 for fiscal year 2019. The number of single adults coming from Mexico has reached 199,109, already exceeding the totals in fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
The number of undocumented apprehensions continue to rise under the Biden administration after his first executive actions rolled back the Trump administration's border policies.
While the numbers of single adults and family units continue to rise, there has been a surge of unaccompanied undocumented children. That increase at the border continues as the Biden administration has ended Title 42 expulsions of that group, USA Today reported.
Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this week the Trump administration used the policy in a different way, USA Today reported.
“We have made a decision that we can address the public health imperative while addressing the humanitarian needs of vulnerable children,” Mayorkas said.
That means regardless of their health, even during the pandemic, undocumented children are not being expelled. The administration, including White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, has repeatedly said it would be inhumane to turn children away at the border.
U.S. Customs statistics of apprehensions show the U.S. is being flooded with undocumented immigrants. The apprehensions are not necessarily indicative of those who are apprehended and returned to Mexico. If a migrant makes a claim of asylum, they are processed and released into the country.
The catch and release process, which was ended by the Trump administration, has begun again under Biden. Some migrants reportedly are being released into the interior of the country without a notice to appear in immigration court.
ABC News reported there has been a growing number of undocumented immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas who have been released from custody without a court date. Both Democrats and Republicans have questioned that move.
"They released about 150 people, families, without even a notice to appear," Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), said on "ABC News Live Prime." "I've never seen that before."
In addition, 15 Republicans wrote to Mayorkas, saying the releases "raise serious questions" about the agency's "commitment to fairly enforcing the law," ABC News reported.
South Texas lawmakers are urging Biden to stop the catch and release program as it is encouraging others to come across the border. U.S. Rep. Vincente Gonzalez (D-Texas) told 3News, "We have sent the wrong message when we allow new migrants to come across the border and be processed and released, and it incentivizes others in Central America to make that same trek."
While California and Arizona are experiencing higher levels of apprehensions, Texas is experiencing the most. Unaccompanied undocumented children in Texas has risen 112.2% for fiscal year 2021 compared to fiscal year 2020 and family unit encounters have risen 37.34%.
