WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) July Southwest border encounter numbers illustrate that, following the end of Title 42, the surge at our porous border is only worsening. The nearly 30% increase in total encounters along the Southwest border compared to June confirms a statement to the Committee by former Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, who said the decrease in crossings between ports of entry following the end of Title 42 is likely to be temporary. Contrary to what the Biden administration has promised, this increase puts the Biden administration on track to reach—if not surpass—Fiscal Year 2022’s total (2,378,944). 

Today, the House Homeland Security Committee released the July “Startling Stats” Factsheet, detailing yet another historic month of over 100,000 encounters at the Southwest border under the Biden administration. The over 170% increase in encounters at ports of entry compared to July 2022 is even more evidence of Secretary Mayorkas’ desperate attempt to hide this continuing crisis in plain sight by shifting otherwise inadmissible aliens to ports of entry. Although some asylum seekers have legitimate claims, many inadmissible aliens who have entered the United States over the past two-and-a-half years of Secretary Mayorkas’ catch-and-release policies may present a national security risk. As the surge at the border begins to worsen again, even the CBP One app can’t hide the truth of this humanitarian and national security crisis.

Key Facts:

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported 183,503 alien encounters along the Southwest border (SWB) in July 2023.
• Of these encounters, 132,652 were apprehended attempting to cross illegally between ports of entry. This is a 33% increase since the previous month.
• Encounters by the Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Southwest border increased 12% from the previous month’s record high and up 177% from July 2022.
• In the first ten months of the fiscal year, 146 individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watchlist were stopped trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border between ports of entry.
• So far in FY23, CBP has arrested 28,325 aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants nationwide, including 515 known gang members.
• In FY23 alone, CBP, including Air and Marine Operations, has seized 24,109 pounds of fentanyl, coming across the Southwest border—enough to kill 5.4 billion people.
• Since the beginning of FY23, 17,894 Chinese nationals have been encountered along the Southwest border—a 722% increase in encounters compared to all of last fiscal year. 

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