Immigration & BorderIssuesFeds Preparing for Possibility of up to Record-Shattering 400,000 Illegal Crossings in October, per Report

NBC News reported that United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas inquired whether Homeland Security is braced for a potential onslaught of 350,000 to 400,000 illegal crossings in October, an extraordinary number that would shatter all others recorded this year.

The warning occurs as an order by federal Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington, D.C. takes effect today that is designed to bar the federal government from deporting illegal aliens who are part of a family unit under portions of Title 42 of the United States Code. Title 42 has been the basis for hundreds of thousands of expulsions this year.

The statute, which dates back to 1944, allows the Surgeon General of the United States to prevent the entry of foreign nationals when there is a threat of a communicable disease. President Trump invoked Title 42 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and President Biden’s administration has continued the policy except for unaccompanied minors.

Though Sullivan’s ruling was stayed to allow an opportunity for appeal, federal court records do not show that the ruling has been blocked.

Breaking a 21-year record, there were 212,672 enforcement encounters against those crossing illegally in July, according to United States Customs and Border Protection. The agency reported 208,887 encounters in August.

The United States House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2022 last week, which stated that illegal immigration is a “national security threat.”