Crisis at US Border Reveals Broken Immigration System
Over 600,000 individuals managed to enter the United States illegally without being apprehended by border agents during the 2023 fiscal year, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. During a hearing on national security, Mayorkas acknowledged that they have been facing the problem of gotaways for decades, emphasizing that it is a clear example of the broken immigration system. The disclosure of these numbers sheds light on the scale of the issue at the US-Mexico border.
In addition to the 600,000 gotaways, Customs and Border Protection figures show that 900,000 migrants were legally allowed into the country under humanitarian parole, enabling them to pursue asylum applications. When we combine these figures, it becomes evident that a total of 1.5 million migrants have crossed the border in the past year alone. The influx of migrants has put significant strain on services in major metropolitan cities such as New York, Chicago, Denver, and Washington D.C.
Furthermore, Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas suggested that the total number of gotaways since President Biden took office in 2021 could be as high as 1.7 million people. The alarming numbers do not seem to be declining, as Chief Jason Owens of Customs and Border Protection highlighted that over 1,000 individuals continue to evade border agents every day.
The lack of knowledge regarding the identities and intentions of these individuals is a cause for concern. Chief Owens emphasized the need for every Border Patrol agent to be on patrol in order to address this issue effectively. Since the beginning of the 2024 fiscal year, more than 18,000 gotaways have already entered the US between October 1st and 16th, as estimated by Owens.
Arizona, in particular, has been significantly impacted in recent weeks, with Border Patrol agents in Pima County apprehending around 2,600 migrants over the weekend, increasing the total number of detentions to 3,200. The influx is straining resources, leading to expectations of releasing 800 to 900 migrants daily once they are processed.
Meanwhile, a group of approximately 5,000 migrants who were bound for the US border commenced a journey from the Mexican city of Tapachula towards the border. Having applied for transit papers in Tapachula and failing to receive them, the migrants decided to move forward. Carrying a white cross painted with drops of red blood and an inscription stating, Containment is my death, liberation is life, the group reached Huehuetán, covering approximately 16 miles.
The ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border highlights the challenges faced by the immigration system. With hundreds of thousands of individuals successfully evading border agents, it is clear that immediate attention and effective measures are needed to address this issue. The impact is not only felt at the border but is also straining resources and services in major cities across the country. The situation calls for a comprehensive approach that considers the complexities of immigration while ensuring national security.
