A slight increase in border apprehensions and a significant drop in the number of unaccompanied minors in April were announced by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday. CBP reported at least a three percent increase in border apprehension for April, compared to its last rate in March. Meanwhile, the rate of unaccompanied minors has decreased by 12 percent in the same timeframe.

The figures officially released by CBP are part of the agency's operational update for April.

CBP's Border Apprehensions

In April, a total of 178,622 people who attempted to enter the United States' southwest border were intercepted by CBP. This figure marks the 21-year high in monthly apprehensions. NBC News emphasized that in March, CBP encountered only at least 173,000 immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. New York Post noted that the recent statistics also marked the highest encounters in a single month since April 2000, where the agency apprehended at least 182,613 immigrants.

"CBP continues to see a large influx of illegal migration along the Southwest border," said Troy Miller, a CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the commissioner.

CBP pointed out that single adults continue to become the majority in the said encounters, as the agency expelled more than 111,000 individuals in April under Title 42. Title 42 was enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that allows the Biden Administration to expel single migrants and many migrant families to prevent the further spread of coronavirus in the country.

NBC News noted that 62.5 percent of all immigrants encountered by CBP in the southwest border in April were all expelled under the authority of the CDC.

As of April, the 2021 fiscal year of CBP encountered a total of 871,459 enforcement actions; 145,058 of which were done by the Office of Field Operations, while 726,401 were done by the U.S. Border Patrol. The 2020 Fiscal year runs from October 1, 2020 to September 30.

Decrease in the Rate of Unaccompanied Minors

Although single adult immigrants and other migrant families were expelled from the border, New York Post noted that President Joe Biden has exempted unaccompanied minors and children from expulsion, allowing them to stay inside the U.S. while waiting for their asylum claims.

CBP had 13,962 unaccompanied children encounters in April, or 12 percent lower than the 15,918 unaccompanied minors last March. CBP pointed out that the recent stats they released are composed of single minors and children from the Northern Triangle region.

According to CBP, the agency has decreased to more than 2,000 children under their custody in April, compared to the 4,109 children they oversaw in March. CBP pointed out that as of May 11, 455 children are under their custody.

"CBP is committed to enhancing the security of the U.S. border, in helping save the lives of vulnerable migrants," said Miller as CBP announced their operational update.

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