CBP records highest EVER annual number of migrants crossing southern border illegally - 2.37m - and that doesn't include the ones that got away!
America has broken its record for the highest number of illegal immigrants intercepted at the border in a single month and a single year.
Customs and Border Patrol figures released late Friday night revealed there were 227,547 'migrant encounters' last month alone.
And for the fiscal year ending in September 2022, there were a total of 2,378,944 illegal immigrants intercepted - the highest for any year ever.
In 2021, there were 1.734 million crossers intercepted for the whole of the financial year, with 458,000 intercepted throughout 2020, and 978,000 in 2019.
COVID border closures helped lower the figures during Donald Trump's final year of office, although Friday's numbers will deal a hammer blow to Joe Biden's midterm hopes.
By comparison for the month of September over the last four years there were 192,001 crossings in 2021, 57,674 in 2020 and 52,546 in September 2019.
The large number of individuals is largely driven by those failing authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.
Illegal immigrants taken into custody after crossing the border unlawfully are, in a majority of cases, released into the U.S.
President Biden and Vice President Harris have been blamed for exacerbating the problem by presenting what has been seen as a softer-touch on illegal immigration.
They also sought to end Title 42, a COVID-era policy enacted by the Trump administration that immediately expelled migrants caught crossing into the US.
This year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has begun bussing migrants to sanctuary cities that claim to welcome migrants, including New York, Chicago and Washington DC.
He and other GOP leaders, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Arizona Governor Greg Ducey, say they want to give those Democrat-run cities a taste of what life is like along the southern border.
Federal authorities arrested more than 2.493 million immigrants during the 2022 fiscal year. That far exceeded last year’s record of more than 1.7 million arrests.
Despite the record-breaking figures, the CBP attempted to place positive spin on the numbers by focusing on the large drop of Venezuelans crossing the border.
'While failing regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua continued to drive a new wave of migration across the western Hemisphere, the number of Venezuelans arriving at the southern border decreased sharply nearly every day since we launched additional joint actions with Mexico to reduce irregular migration and create a more fair, orderly and safe process for people fleeing the humanitarian and economic crisis in their country,' said CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus.
'Over the past week, the number of Venezuelans attempting to enter the country fell more than 80 percent compared to the week prior to the launch of the joint enforcement actions.
'While this early data is not reflected in the latest report, it confirms what we've said all along: when there is a lawful and orderly way to enter the country, individuals will be less likely to put their lives in the hands of smugglers and try to cross the border unlawfully.
'CBP and DHS will continue to work with our partners in the region to address the root causes of migration, expand legal pathways, facilitate removals, and take thousands of smugglers off the streets.
'No matter what smugglers say, those who do not have a legal basis to remain in the country will be removed and people should not make the dangerous journey.'
Politically, the Biden Administration has attempted to blame former President Trump's immigration policies for the problems now being encountered.
Speaking last month, Vice President Kamala Harris insisted the U.S.-Mexico border was secure but was quick to blame the Trump administration for a 'broken' immigration system.
'I think that there is no question that we have to do what the president and I asked Congress to do, the first request we made: pass a bill to create a pathway to citizenship,' Harris said. 'The border is secure, but we also have a broken immigration system, in particular, over the last four years before we came in, and it needs to be fixed.'
'We're going to have two million people cross this border for the first time ever. You're confident this border is secure?' interviewer Chuck Todd pressed the vice president in the interview.
'We have a secure border in that that is a priority for any nation including ours in our administration,' Harris replied.
'But there are still a lot of problems that we are trying to fix,' she added, calling for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
President Biden appointed Harris to tackle the 'root causes' of immigration but appeared to have had little effect since taking on the role.
Harris tried to shift blame onto Congress and Texas where State Governor Greg Abbott has been bussing migrants to liberal cities like Washington, D.C. and New York in a political play designed to show them what Texas has been feeling.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey followed suit. The political move prompted D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to request the help of the National Guard to deal with the influx of migrants, calling the matter a 'humanitarian crisis.
'Frankly it's a dereliction of duty when you are an elected leader to play those kinds of games with human lives and human beings,' Harris said, urging Republicans to be 'part of the solution.
She also blamed former President Donald Trump and his administration's policies for 'decimating' the process designed to help people come to the country and claim asylum when fleeing their homes.
On Thursday Arizona revealed how it is refusing to comply with the Biden administration's demand that the state remove double-stacked shipping containers placed at the border as a makeshift barrier in an attempt to quell illegal immigration.
Republican Governor Doug Ducey's government started placing the shipping containers on the U.S. side of the Arizona border with Mexico in August – and in a letter last week the Bureau of Reclamation instructed the state to not place any new containers and remove the existing ones.
Since August, more than 120 containers have been placed to help fill the gaps at the border, Ducey's communications director C.J. Karamargin told the Washington Examiner , adding that they are confused why it took months for the letter to come in.
'It took the feds since August to write a letter? If this is any indication of their sense of urgency, then perhaps that explains the problem we're having,' Karamargin said.
'As for the letter, we question their legal analysis and we are looking at our options,' Ducey's spokesperson added.
The record number of border crossings has become a political hot potato for the Biden administration and for Democrats running in competitive races on the Southern border, such as Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who is seeking re-election.
Republicans are using the issue to bash Biden this election year.
And some GOP politicians have paid to send migrants from the border to Democratic strongholds such as New York, Martha's Vineyard, Delaware and Illinois.
Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has sent a planeload of migrants to Martha Vineyard and is planning on flights to Delaware and Illinois.
Those would be the second and third times this year that DeSantis has flown migrants to liberal bastions.
And Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has sent busloads of illegal immigrants from his state to cities like Chicago, New York City and Washington DC.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has slammed DeSantis for using migrants as 'political pawns.'
'They are fleeing persecution, only to be used as a political pawn by the Florida governor,' she said.
She added of DeSantis: 'His only goal is - as he's made it really clear - is to create chaos, and use immigrants fleeing communism as political pawns.'
And, the ol' game goes on and on - Dems don't do nothing wrong and IT'S ALL TRUMP'S FAULT.
108,000 "Unaccompanied children" just turned loose? 137,000 Illegal Aliens crossing monthly? 900,000 "Gotaways" escaped into the U.S.
C'mon - this is friggin' ridiculous. Either enforce the laws or get rid of them.
Those are the figures that Mayorkas sat on.
I wonder how many of those kids Biden turned loose are now filling the gap Maxwell left?
The Biden/Harris clown show of an Administration has no clue about the border.
They have no plan, and look incredibly stupid still blaming Trump when they have been in charge and have done nothing to curb illegal immigration.
How many people will fall for their lies?
Mayorkas would have liked to have staled releasing the report until after the midterms. The Border Patrol threatened to do the honors themselves if he didn't do it by Tuesday. The numbers were finally released after 11:PM last night. Those numbers easily eclipse the numbers from any previous month. And the crossings show no signs of slowing down.
Anyone who won't admit that this is an open border policy is either an idiot or a liar.
Also, a record number of immigrant deaths in fiscal 2022.
You did that, Joe!
With help from Kamala, of course!
Joe told us he wanted a humane and effective migration plan.
Just relabel the deaths post birth abortions, you will have protestors in the streets telling us it’s Joe’s constitutional right!
Biden and Harris have had almost 2 years to implement the "plans" they already had to "fix" immigration.
What have they actually accomplished besides setting new records for illegal aliens entering the US, and record numbers being allowed in?
And what is their solution? Blame someone out of office for almost 2 years now to hide the fact they suck at their jobs.
Elect a Republican House and Senate to curb Biden's horrendous policies.
In the Biden administration the solution is simple, amnesty and citizenship for everyone. Ta Da! Zero illegals.
Look at what Biden's policy has already produced: Coming here illegally is easier than applying for citizenship and there are benefits provided as well.
Biden’s border policy is completely Fubar .....