Number Of Migrant Families Entering U.S. Hits New High

EL PASO, TX — The number of families entering the U.S. illegally rose by 40 percent between July and August, setting a new record, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP). In El Paso alone, officers apprehended 6,278 families between Oct. 1, 2016 - Aug. 31, 2017. Between Oct. 1, 2017 - Aug. 31, 2018, that number was 11,265, which represents a 79 percent increase, CBP reported.

"Smugglers and traffickers understand our broken immigration laws better than most and know that if a family unit illegally enters the U.S. they are likely to be released into the interior. Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security is required to release families entering the country illegally within 20 days of apprehension," Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Press Secretary Tyler Q. Houlton said in a news release. "We know that the vast majority of family units who have been released, despite having no right to remain in any legal status, fail to ever depart or be removed."

President Donald Trump has continued to make immigration a cornerstone of his administration. In September, Trump's administration reached a settlement giving 1,000 parents and children of immigrants another chance to apply for asylum in the U.S., CNBC reported.

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Photo via DHS