Southwest Border Apprehensions Approaching Record Levels Amid Migration Surge

This content leverages data from USAFacts, a non-profit that visualizes governmental data. You can learn more on its website, Facebook, and Twitter.

What’s the story?

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shows that apprehensions of unauthorized immigrants at the southwest border are nearing record levels amid a surge in migration, including among unaccompanied minors.
• CBP reported 96,974 apprehensions in February 2021, which amounts to the third-highest monthly total since 2010 surpassed only by 99,273 in April 2019 and 132,856 in May 2019 as this USAFacts chart shows:

• Border apprehensions in February 2021 included 68,732 adults without family, 18,945 people in family units, and 9,297 unaccompanied minors. It was the second-most apprehensions of unaccompanied minors since 2010, trailing only the 11,475 taken into custody in May 2019.
• The other two months with the most apprehensions since 2010 had relatively higher proportions of people in family units being taken into custody by CBP, as over half of all apprehensions in April and May of 2019 were people in family units. This interactive USAFacts table allows you to compare the monthly apprehensions dating back to 2012:

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / VallarieE)