More than 188,000 migrants were stopped along the US-Mexico border last month, according to government data, the highest June total in at least two decades. Border officials have reported more than 1 million encounters in the current fiscal year (which begins in October), the first time that mark has been passed since 2005.
Of the June total, roughly 34% were migrants who had been encountered within the previous 12 months. Similarly, of the 1 million encounters since October, less than half (about 456,000) were newly encountered migrants. Officials said the large number of migrants who were expelled under pandemic-related public health orders and subsequently attempted reentry contributed to the high overall numbers. See the data here.
In related news, a federal judge ruled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, referred to as DACA, to be illegal. The Obama-era program defers deportation of certain undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers—an estimated 700,000 children and young adults who were under 16 years old when they entered the US. Under the ruling, current recipients will not be affected and may continue to renew their status, but no new applicants will be allowed.
