Increase in Unauthorized Crossings in Remote Areas as Congress and White House Clash Over New Asylum Restrictions

Concrete-filled steel columns erected along the U.S. border with Mexico are marked with the dates when the Border Patrol repaired illicit openings in the barriers. However, new breaches appear as soon as fixes are made, allowing large groups of migrants to enter with no agents in sight, particularly along a 30-mile stretch on a gravel road west of Lukeville, Arizona.

A recent Border Patrol tour in Arizona revealed improvements in custody conditions and processing times, but the overwhelming flow of migrants has led to frustration with the Biden administration’s immigration policies. This had put pressure on Congress to reach a deal on asylum, prompting consideration of major limits to asylum as part of a deal for Ukraine aid.

The number of daily arrivals is “unprecedented,” with illegal crossings topping 10,000 some days across the border in December. To address the issue, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has suspended cross-border rail traffic in some Texas cities and closed certain border crossings to assign more officials to deal with the migrant influx.

Arrests for illegal crossings topped 2 million for the first time in the U.S. government’s last two budget years, reflecting technological changes and a host of issues prompting people to leave their homes. The demographics of the migrants are also changing, with increased arrests of families and non-Mexicans.

Discussions in Congress may produce the most significant immigration legislation since 1996, including potential changes such as more mandatory detention and broader use of a rule to raise thresholds for initial asylum screenings.