Illegal Border Crossings Reach 3-Year-Low Since Joe Biden Border Crackdown; Migrants Say Getting to US Harder Now

The combination of the Joe Biden administration's strict border policies and pressure on countries along the migration route seems to be working as fewer and fewer migrants seem to be crossing the US-Mexico border since the Biden crackdown started. Migrants themselves also admit that getting to the US is much harder now, with some even pausing their journeys in the meantime.

The preliminary Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data seem to be backing the administration's claims that the crackdown is working, with CBP agents processing around 84,000 migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border without authorization in June. This is now the lowest monthly level for migrants captured at the southern border since Biden first took office.

According to CBS News, this is also the fourth straight monthly drop in migrant apprehension numbers as the unexpected downward trend in illegal border crossings that started in the early spring continues to happen. In February, there were 141,000 recorded apprehensions, and it fell to 137,000 in March. It fell even more to 129.000 in April and then again to 118,000 in May. However, the largest drop so far has happened in June.

While there are exemptions for unaccompanied children and those who wait in Mexico for a chance to be processed at a port of entry, the Biden border crackdown has allowed US immigration officials to deport larger numbers of migrants as quickly as possible.

"The numbers have been going down before the presidential announcement, but they went down a lot more afterwards, so I think you have to give some credit to that," stated the president of the Migration Policy Institute, Andrew Selee. "We have to assume, if nothing else, that in the short term, it has dissuaded some people."

Migrants Staying in the Amazon and Pausing Journey to US, Say Getting There Harder Now

One of the countries that migrants stop in is Brazil, as many flee their respective countries to get a better life in the United States. However, since Joe Biden's border crackdown began, many of these migrants, particularly ones from Venezuela, have decided to stay in Brazil for a while.

One of them is Venezuelan migrant Johany "Flaca" Rodríguez, 48, who was staying in a shelter holding 45 people in Assis Brasil, near the Peru-Brazil border. She told the Associated Press that she and many others are now waiting to see what happens next after others told her how difficult the journey to the US has now become.

"I have to stay here until it is safer to go," she told the outlet. "I am not super happy about staying (in Brazil), but that's what I can do."

Migrants Started Staying in Brazil Since Joe Biden's Border Crackdown Started

While illegal border crossings in the US have gone down, this has also affected Brazil as the migrants are now forced to stay in the country and not even make the trek north, across the Darien Gap and Central America, to get to Mexico.

Many of the migrants arriving in Brazil are Indians, Bengalis, Senegalese, and Nigerians, all seeking to get to the US. However, many are now staying in the Brazilian state of Acre and not continuing their journey, as the crackdown has proven more difficult to deal with than they have imagined.

Many of these migrants are not planning to leave any time soon and may leave as soon as the US eases its border policies.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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