Typically, the sweltering summer heat causes a drop in the number of migrants trying to cross the US border illegally. But this year, the United States faces “an unprecedented number of migrants between the entry points of our southern border,” US Homeland Security Minister Alejandro Mayorkas said at a news conference in Texas on Thursday.
More than 200,000 migrants were detained in July when they tried to enter the territory through Mexico, according to data from the United States Customs and Border Guard (CPB).
The number of unaccompanied minors arrested at the border also increased by 24% in July compared to the previous month with 18,962 undocumented minors registered, according to the CPB. “The situation at the border is one of the most complex challenges we face. It is complex, changing and worries vulnerable people in the midst of a global pandemic ”, added Alejandro Mayorkas.
The increase in the number of deportations during the pandemic partly explains these high numbers with many migrants making multiple attempts to enter the United States, border guards detailed in a statement. The influx of migrants to the United States had marked a decline at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and then began to resume in 2020 before experiencing an outbreak since the arrival of Joe Biden to the White House.
