Migrant surge continues at border despite summer heat

Border detentions have increased every month since President Biden took office in January, with experts pointing to a lack of consequences which has led to many migrants making repeat consequences.

At his first formal press conference at the White House in March, President Biden pushed back against attacks on his handling of a surge of immigrants, claiming that the uptick in illegal crossings was seasonal, with more migrants traveling during the winter months than in the summer.

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However, the increase in illegal border detentions has grown larger despite the summer heat.

The latest data reveals that approximately 188,829 migrants were detained at the border last month, in comparison to 68,000 during the same period in 2006.

Where things are working positively for the current administration is that some unaccompanied minors and families are being exempted from Title 42

In an exclusive interview for LPO, policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Ariel Ruiz, said: "Title 42 is a continuation of a Trump policy that started in March of 2020 and that is being used to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the United States, but the Biden administration has also used it to mediate the flows arriving at the US-Mexico border."

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has registered more than 1 million apprehensions at the border this fiscal year - a 15-year high.

"Migrant expulsions from the United States without consequences has increased dramatically over the last several months, meaning that more Mexicans are attempting to cross the border multiple times, and after four or five times they are able to enter the country," Ruiz added.

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has registered more than 1 million apprehensions at the border this fiscal year - a 15-year high

"There must be a system in place where migrants face harsher consequences after certain number of entries," Ruiz added. "Perhaps, in some cases, they would do some jail time before being sent back. Title 42 is sort of counterproductive because it is expelling people without applying any other consequences."

A joint, preliminary tally from July 18th provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows that around 16,620 unaccompanied minors were apprehended, are currently under CBP custody or have been transferred into HHS care.

Only 689 children were discharged as of July.

"Where things are working positively for the current administration is that some unaccompanied minors and families are being exempted from Title 42," Ruiz said.

"It is a positive development because unlike the Trump administration, the Biden administration is allowing some families and children, unaccompanied and accompanied, into the United States to seek asylum."

In March, President Biden designated VP Kamala Harris to lead the White House strategy to stem migration at the border by addressing the underlying factors in Central America and Mexico that drive migrants to travel to the United States.

The MPI policy analyst stated that "despite the efforts of the current administration, MPI has studied for a long time that addressing the root causes in Central America is going to take years, if not a decade or so to fix."

The United States has been more proactive in deterring Cuban migration and less so with Haitian migration. Haitians have a network in Mexico, particularly in Tijuana and in Juarez

"There must be alternatives for regular immigration, like increasing visas from Central America to the United States and to Canada to make the U.S. immigration and asylum systems more transparent and efficient," the analysis added. "There's not really a proposed strategy right now to address a growing increase in the number of what we call ‘extra-continental migrants ‘or migrants that are coming from other countries, not just from Mexico and Central America".

Since the assassination of the Haitian president and the unprecedented protests in Cuba, the U.S. government could confront another immigration crisis.

"We are carefully monitoring migration in Haiti, not only because of the current political situation, but also because of the deep effects of the pandemic. There are increasing flows of Haitians to South America, Central America and Mexico," said Ruiz.

"The United States has been more proactive in deterring Cuban migration and less so with Haitian migration. Haitians have a network in Mexico, particularly in Tijuana and in Juarez," he added.

In mid-July, Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, warned those fleeing from Haiti and Cuba to not come to the United States.