Border crossings soar in March to nearly 200,000

The number of immigrants apprehended by authorities after crossing the Mexican border without authorization rose by 25% in March compared to February. Border Patrol agents recorded 191,899 illegal arrivals in March, well above the 156,138 recorded in February.

This data comes just weeks before the Biden Administration prepares to end Title 42, which will result in the arrival of some 400,000 immigrants per month according to the authorities' own estimates. Despite this, the Border Protection Service (CBP) is pleased with the latest figures which show that migrant encounters are down compared to March of last year.

Seven out of ten encounters with migrants were with single adults

CBP revealed that more than two-thirds (69%) of the immigrant encounters in March were with single adults. They total 133,256, a 19% increase compared to February. The number of unaccompanied children went up by 14% and the number of people in family units rose by 38%.

During the month of March, 27,783 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans were released into the country through the parole processes established for Venezuelans in October which were extended to additional nationalities in January.

Border Patrol has reported more than one million migrant apprehensions in FY 2023, with another six months still to go. The agency recorded 2.2 million apprehensions along the southern border in FY 2022, a record number.