Washington DC.- US border authorities intercepted 210,000 migrants trying to cross the border with Mexico in March, the highest number in two decades, underscoring the challenges for US President Joe Biden.
The data shows an increase of 24 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, when 169 thousand migrants were located at the border.
Biden, who took office in January 2021, has vowed to roll back many of the tough immigration policies of his Republican predecessor, former President Donald Trump. But he has had both operational and political problems with a large number of crossing attempts.
Republicans say Biden’s backtracking on Trump-era policies has encouraged more undocumented immigration.
Half of the migrants found on the US-Mexico border in recent months came from countries including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. However, more and more people are arriving from more remote places, such as Russia and the Ukraine.
Record number of the last two decades
The 210,000 migrants intercepted in March, a figure made public in a court filing late Friday, is the highest monthly total recorded since February 2000. US Customs and Border Protection statistics show that They date from that year.
Another 11,000 migrants tried to enter a legal crossing along the southwestern US border in March without a valid visa or permit, according to the court filing.
About half of the migrants found in March were removed under an order recently repealed by the Biden Administration, known as Title 42, according to the document.
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