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In March, the Biden administration apprehended more than 170,000 migrants in the U.S.-Mexico border. That figure is up 70 percent from February and marks the highest number of apprehensions in any month for the last 15 years. According to government documents obtained by The New York Times, more than 18,700 unaccompanied children were taken into CBP custody last month, nearly double the 9,450 minors who came in February and more than four times the 4,635 minors who crossed last March. The situation has become increasingly complicated as migrants have started traveling as families over the past few years, with more than 53,000 migrants coming as families in March. The New York Times
In other federal immigration news…
Lawmakers Say Border Influx is Biden’s Responsibility
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill say the border influx should be dealt with by President Joe Biden and federal agencies. Most members said they would provide the administration with more research if Biden asked. But they also made it clear that there’s not much they can do on the legislative front. Democratic senators said they rarely see any desire for collaborations on immigration legislation from Republicans; they’d need 10 Republican votes to overcome a GOP filibuster and past any legislation in the Senate. Instead, Republicans are more interested in curbing the border influx, and often criticize Biden’s policies rather than work with their Democratic colleagues’ ideas for improving immigration. The Hill
U.S. Places Ads in Latin America to Discourage Crossings
The Biden administration sent out 28,000 radio ads in Latin America to discourage people from traveling to the U.S. In the 45-second radio ad, a man is saying how life would be easier if he crossed the border with his child. Yet his friend tells him that he’s wrong and warns him about the dangers of the border, such as being assaulted, kidnapped, killed or contracting COVID-19. “Don’t put your kids’ lives at risk based on false hope,” the friend says. According to a State Department spokesperson, the ad has reached about 7 million Central American radio listeners via 133 radio station stations. CNN
