Some Senegalese migrants making their way to the U.S.-Mexico border are being assisted by “pseudo-legitimate” travel agencies offering “complete packages” to America, according to a border official.
The agencies are operating from the country’s capital, Dakar, with routes that go to Europe then Mexico, where the “customers” are linked up with smuggling organizations to illegally cross into the United States, a Customs and Border Protection official told the New York Post.
CBP is “working with partners throughout the hemisphere and around the world to really make sure that we are bolstering people’s access to protections in the right ways and taking action to prevent people from trying to exploit different travel mechanisms,” the official said.
Arrests of migrants from countries such as Senegal, Mauritania, China and India entering via Mexico ballooned to 214,000 during the 2023 fiscal year, according to US Customs and Border Protection data. The staggering amount was triple the number of migrant “encounters” from Asia and Africa in fiscal year 2022, which was 70,000, according to CBP statistics.
Senegalese people accounted for more than 9,000 arrests in Tucson, Ariz., from Oct. 1 to Dec. 9, where agents have encountered migrants from about four dozen Eastern hemisphere countries. (New York Post)
A separate New York Post report explained the challenges this group of illegal border crossers from Asia and Africa present.
The new groups, known as “extracontinentals” are posing a challenge to federal authorities because deporting migrants back to Asian and African countries is time-consuming and expensive, according to the outlet.
“That puts a lot of strain on our operations because we just don’t have longstanding ties or agreements in place with many countries in order to facilitate quick removals,” a US government official told the newspaper. “We are actively working on that.”
Republican Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida accused the Biden administration on Tuesday of using border officials as “travel agents.”
“We have brave men and women of Border Patrol who are down there, ready, willing and able who want to enforce our laws, who want to fight for our country, and instead as you point out, they’re being assigned tasks like passing out blankets and working as travel agents to just bring people into this country,” Lee said on Fox News.
Her comments come as CBP released data last week showing 242,418 migrant encounters at the southern border in November, slightly up from October’s 240,986 encounters.
“CBP continues to execute its important mission to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity by implementing operational plans, surging personnel and decompressing areas along the southwest border while processing and vetting migrants who are encountered humanely, safely, and efficiently, consistent with our laws,” acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement with the data’s release. “Despite ongoing challenges, in November, the men and women of CBP continued their tireless work and recorded increased seizures of illegal narcotics while facilitating lawful trade and increased holiday travel.”
Miller's statement also called on Congress to increase funding levels.
"We are facing a serious challenge along the southwest border and CBP and our federal partners need more resources from Congress — as outlined in the supplemental budget request — to enhance border security and America’s national security.”