There were roughly 10,000 migrants in Border Patrol custody on Thursday — four times the limit set by the Biden administration Tuesday, according to data leaked to The Post.
President Biden’s executive order said it would stop processing asylum claims after 2,500 migrants are arrested for crossing into the US illegally for seven days in a row.
Migrants hoping for processing from Customs and Border Patrol agents wait in line at Jacumba Hot Springs, Calif., after walking under intense heat from Mexico into the US on June 5, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
Migrants walk on the US side of the border wall in Jacumba Hot Springs after crossing from Mexico on June 5. AFP via Getty ImagesBut the threat of denying asylum claims doesn’t seem to be deterring migrants from crossing illegally.
Border Patrol agents apprehended 4,000 illegal migrants alone Wednesday, according to Fox News.
Additionally, Border Patrol processing centers in San Diego — which has been the top area for illegal crossings — have reached 237% capacity Thursday, with more than 2,300 migrants in custody and a capacity for 1,000, according to the internal data.
“There doesn’t appear to be much of a change,” one Border Patrol source told The Post.
What to know about the Biden administration's "crackdown" on the border:
- President Biden announced an executive order that would shut down the US-Mexico border if illegal crossings exceed 2,500 for seven consecutive days.
- The order prevents migrants from applying for asylum during the shutdown period, but the restrictions will be lifted once crossings average 1,500 per day for seven straight days.
- Critics have pointed out that the border “crackdown” would still allow 1.8 million asylum seekers into the county if fully enforced.
- Border Patrol agents told The Post that the Biden administration plan is “too little, too late.”
The agent said they expect mass releases of illegal migrants to continue.
“I have my doubts about whether the executive order will do a whole lot. It sounds like Mexico is only going to be taking back individuals from a handful of countries. The rest will be processed and handed over to ICE, however, if there isn’t detention space or repatriation flights, they’re just going to get released, which is the reason this whole mess exists in the first place,” the source said.
“People are going to figure out exactly what they need to do or say to game the system. I don’t blame them. I blame the system that allows it to happen. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
A large group of Chinese migrants and three from Bangladesh line up for a Border Patrol agent at Jacumba Hot Spring on June 6, 2024, where the group arrived after crossing the US-Mexico border overnight. AFP via Getty Images
President Biden’s executive order said it would stop processing asylum claims after 2,500 migrants are arrested for crossing into the US illegally for seven days in a row. Annabelle Gordon / CNP / SplashNews.comBiden’s executive order, which went into place Wednesday, only lifts border restrictions after the number of crossings averages 1,500 for seven consecutive days.
In January, President Biden said he required Congressional approval of border legislation, saying he had “done all I can do.”
“Just give me the power. I’ve asked from the very day I got into office,” he said at the time. “Give me the Border Patrol, give me the people, the judges — give me the people who can stop this and make it work right.”
The new executive order signals the president has changed his tune as polls ahead of the November election are consistently showing that American voters are increasingly concerned with illegal immigration and enhanced border enforcement ranked as a top concern for voters.
