September Migrant Encounters Hit Record High

The number of migrant encounters at the U.S. southern border climbed to a record more than 227,000 during the month of September and more than 2.3 million for fiscal year 2022, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

CBP uploaded the border numbers on Friday night in what was the highest number of encounters during the month of September in Department of Homeland Security history.

CBP’s numbers also show that there were 20 known or suspected terrorists arrested at the southern border in September, bringing the total terror watchlist arrests at the border for the fiscal year 2022 to 98. The number of terror watchlist arrests at the border for the last five years combined was 26.

September’s migrant encounter number was a significant increase from the same month in recent years. In September 2021, there were 192,001 migrant encounters. Border agents encountered 57,674 migrants in September 2020 and 52,546 in September 2019.

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Last month’s figures also saw an increase from August, when there were 203,598 migrant encounters.

The September data revealed the fiscal year 2022 ended with 2,378,944​ migrant encounters, the highest ever recorded in a fiscal year. This figure does not include the 599,000 ​known “gotaways” that CBP sources told Fox News evaded capture in the fiscal year 2022.

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