What’s New
This past weekend saw a sudden rise in illegal border crossings into the United States in South Texas after months of historic lows.
According to figures released by a chief U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent, the Rio Grande sector saw 1,276 arrests over the past weekend, compared to between 400 and 600 in recent weeks.
Newsweek reached out to CBP for comment via email Monday afternoon.
Why it matters
U.S.-Mexico border crossings between official ports of entry have fallen sharply since May, in part due to more restrictive federal government policies but also because Mexico has been tougher on migrants’ movements on its side of the border.
A sharp rise like this one in the final days of President Joe Biden’s term could signal a shift in immigrant movements as President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration draws closer, with the threat of mass deportations and even stricter border security measures.
John Moore/Getty Images
What to Know
Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez, who helps to lead CBP’s Rio Grande sector in Texas posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the latest activity in the area over the weekend.
Chavez said that officers made 1,276 apprehensions of migrants making illegal crossings, encountered 13 human smuggling cases, and carried out six narcotics seizures. One large group was comprised of around 120 people from eight different countries.
The agent often posts weekend updates of her team’s work, with those over the past few months showing apprehensions more in the region of between 400 and 600.
By contrast, other sectors have seen low levels of illegal crossings since late June, as the effects of Biden’s near-total asylum ban were felt.
The Rio Grande sector includes over 270 miles of land border with Mexico, with over 32,000 arrests, or encounters, in Fiscal Year 2024, from October 2023 to September 2024.
What People Are Saying
Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez on X: “So proud of the work our USBP agents execute daily protecting our South Texas region!”
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Coalition, on X: “This is the highest weekend total for the Rio Grande Valley Sector since late December 2023. There are also reports of a rise in large-group crossings in Del Rio, despite no spikes in west Texas, Arizona, or California.”
Further west, Terell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland also reported more arrests on X Thursday: “We’ve seen an uptick of activity and have more groups are staging south along the river.”
What Happens Next
Those concerned about crossings on the southwest border will get a clearer picture of recent activity in the coming days when CBP releases its latest monthly statistics, this time for November 2024.
Those detained in Rio Grande Valley will face questions from border agents before they are either removed from the U.S. or released pending immigration hearings.
