Apprehensions at the US border with Mexico soared to more than 144,000 in May — a 32% increase over the number of apprehensions in April as well as a huge increase over the 51,000 nabbed in May 2018.

Customs and Border Protection statistics showed that the number of asylum seekers — most from Central America — trying to find refuge in the US continued to spike since President Trump took office, despite his hardline stance on illegal immigration.

May was the third month in a row that more than 100,000 people were detained.

CBP officials said agents had detained more than 100,000 family members and children and that holding cells were “bursting at the seams” because of overcrowding.

“We are in a full-blown emergency, and I cannot say this stronger: The system is broken,” said acting CBP Commissioner John Sanders, the Washington Post reported.

The figures were released as Trump has threatened to slap punitive tariffs on Mexico if the government doesn’t stop the flow of migrants entering the US illegally.