Migrant Encounters in March Topped 221,000

The number of migrants encountered at the southern border surged past the 220,000 mark in March, marking the highest numbers seen under President Biden – numbers that are likely to further fuel bipartisan fears of unprecedented migrant traffic in the months ahead when the Biden administration lifts the Title 42 public health order.

Customs and Border Protection said in a court filing Friday that 221,303 migrants were encountered at the southern border in March. That’s approximately 28% higher than March 2021 when 173,277 migrants were encountered. In March 2020, just 34,460 migrants were encountered at the border.

The number is bigger than last year’s high of 213,953 in July and is the third time under Biden that there have been more than 200,000 migrants at the border — which only occurred in two months at the height of the 2021 surge. While numbers dipped since July, they have remained comparatively high compared to the same months in prior years — never dipping below 150,000. Now, as the spring and summer months approach, they are already well above 200,000.

There have now been 1,026,460​ encounters in the first 6 months of Fiscal Year 22, which began in October. In the first six months of the record setting FY 21, there were only 570,826​ encounters. {snip}

The increased traffic in March took place as there was talk of the Biden administration lifting the Title 42 public health order, which has been used since March 2020 to remove a majority of migrants at the border due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The administration eventually confirmed on April 1 that it would be lifting the order on May 23. Since then, border officials have frequently been encountering between 7,000 and 8,000 migrants a day.