U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) finally released the number of illegal immigrants that were encountered in the month of August as the U.S.-Mexico border crisis continues to be a major problem.
According to CBP data, Border Patrol agents encountered 203,597 illegal immigrants, slightly higher than the 200,195 that were encountered in July. With August's numbers, it now means illegal immigrant encounters reached over two million in one fiscal year. The 2022 fiscal year ends at the end of October.
BREAKING: It’s official. For the first time, migrant encounters at the border have surpassed two million in one year.
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 19, 2022
CBP reports there were 203,598 migrant encounters at the border in August, bringing the total for FY’22 to 2,150,370, and there is still one month left to go.
CBP's encountered numbers do not include the large number of illegal immigrants who managed to avoid apprehension by law enforcement, which have also reached all-time highs.
Due to the border crisis soon to be entering another year, Texas and Arizona have been busing processed and released migrants to sanctuary cities, such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New York City, to take pressure off of overwhelmed towns at the southern border. Most recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) flew migrants staying on the streets in Texas to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
"The majority, if not all of the individuals that originated in Texas and ended up on the flights to Martha's Vineyard, were indeed homeless, hungry, sleeping outside in parking lots. Many had been in a shelter at some point previously and had been kicked out, did not have a place to go and essentially were wandering homeless at the border," a Florida official said in a background call with reporters on Monday.
"They were given every opportunity over a multiple day period to decide they didn't want to go on the trip and go a different direction. Indeed, some of these individuals after a night or two of accommodations chose to stay behind and not go on the trip," the official added.