Migrant encounters rises above 180K in May as border crisis continues

More than 180,000 migrants were encountered attempting to get into the U.S. via the southern border in May alone, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Wednesday -- the latest sign of a continued and unrelenting crisis at the southern border.

The surge in migration has overwhelmed border officials and led to the Biden administration scrambling to set up facilities at the border and elsewhere in the U.S. It has been releasing migrant family units into the interior, often without court dates, due to Mexico’s refusal to take back families with small children. CBP noted that many of those encountered were expelled via Title 42 public health protections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 180,000 encountered, 112,302 were expelled via Title 42, many of them single adults. The agency also noted that Title 42 expulsions have led to an increase in encounters as migrants are more likely to make multiple attempts to gain entry into the U.S.