It is the first time enforcement encounters have decreased from the previous month since President Biden took office in January.
A source at the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reportedly told Fox that last month there were 208,887 enforcement encounters, just under half of which were with single adults. There were 18,847 encounters with unaccompanied children and 86,487 encounters with family units.
44 percent of the individuals apprehended in August were deported under the Title 42 immigration rules designed to protect the public from COVID-19.
By contrast, CBP reported 50,014 encounters in August last year, 62,707 encounters in August 2019, and 46,719 encounters the year before that.
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not yet published its operational update for August, which will include more specific information.
In response to the unusually high number of illegal crossings, Texas is currently laying the groundwork for the construction of a state border wall on 733 miles of the state’s border with Mexico.
Additionally, a state operation against illegal immigration, Operation Lone Star, has resulted in thousands of criminal arrests and the seizure of thousands of pounds of illegal drugs.
After being petitioned by officials on the southern border of both political parties, the state legislature granted an additional $1.8 billion in border security funding during its last called session.
The federal government is also begrudgingly reintroducing the “remain in Mexico” policy, which was put in place by former President Trump. The United States Supreme Court effectively reinstated the policy by declining to block a decision by a federal judge in Amarillo requiring DHS to reimplement it.
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Hayden Sparks
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
