EXCLUSIVE: CBP to Report Record of Nearly 2 Million Migrants Encountered in 2021

The stream of mostly Haitian migrants crossing the Rio Grande continued on Saturday and th
Photo: Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is set to report just under 2 million migrant encounters nationwide for the recently ended Fiscal Year 2021. The number of migrants encountered by Border Patrol agents and CBP officers jumped 202 percent over the previous year’s roughly 647,000.

CBP Officers and Border Patrol agents encountered nearly 1.96 million migrants nationwide during FY21 which ended on September 30, according to a highly placed source operating under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. A document from the agency reviewed by Breitbart Texas revealed the record-breaking level of migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Of the nearly 1.96 million migrants encountered, more than 1.66 million, a new record for Border Patrol, were migrants apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents at the southern, northern, and coastal borders. This represents an increase of 310 percent over the previous year’s 405,000 migrants.

The report for FY21 set a new record for the apprehension of migrants by Border Patrol agents for the nine southwest border sectors. The previous apprehension record of 1.64 million was set in FY2000, Breitbart Texas reported in late September.

Of the nearly 2 million migrants encountered by CBP and Border Patrol in FY2021, nearly 1.6 million took place following changes in immigration and border security policy following the Biden inauguration.

Single adult migrants accounted for more than 1.3 million of the total encounters, the report is expected to reveal.  This is up from just under 537,000 the year before — an increase of nearly 146 percent. Of those, more than 616,000 came from Mexico and nearly 315,000 came from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Family units accounted for the second-largest demographic of migrants encountered with just under 484,000 — an increase of more than 545 percent. More than 275,000 of those came from the Northern Triangle nations.

Encounters with Unaccompanied Minors also jumped by more than 333 percent. CBP officers and agents encountered more than 148,000 unaccompanied minors — up from only 34,000 the year before. Of those, more than 114,000 came from the Northern Triangle countries.

The numbers reported above do not include an estimated 400,000 migrant “got-aways.” The number is determined by counting migrants who ultimately escape apprehension after being observed by surveillance systems. Border Patrol agents also use traditional sign-cutting techniques to spot footprints. It is not a perfect investigative method, however, and sources say the actual got-away count is usually higher.

In a news interview on September 26, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says the increase in apprehensions is nothing new. Mayorkas told Fox News’ Chris Wallace, “We are certainly seeing a large number here this year, but in 2019, we saw a large number. In 2014, in 2010. This is nothing new,” he says.

The statement contradicts the reality that the total number of migrant apprehensions along the southwest border with Mexico is higher than any recorded yearly apprehension statistic, dating to 1925 when 22,199 migrants were arrested by the Border Patrol–mostly on horseback.

Editor’s Note: The numbers cited from the source are preliminary numbers and could change slightly before the official report is published by CBP.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.

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