Border Patrol is reporting “a dramatic rise” in the number of African migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in recent days.
“The introduction of this new population places additional burdens on processing stations, to include language and cultural differences,” Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz said in a CBP press statement Wednesday. “Our agents continue to meet each new challenge as the ongoing humanitarian crisis evolves.”
Agents at the Del Rio Sector, a stretch of border between Texas and Mexico, apprehended their first large group of African migrants on May 30, nabbing 116 Africans crossing the Rio Grande together. A group of migrants is considered “large” if it’s made up of 100 or more persons.
“Large groups present a unique challenge for the men and women of the Del Rio Sector,” Ortiz said of the record-setting capture. “This large group from Africa further demonstrates the complexity and severity of the border security and humanitarian crisis at our Southwest border.”
Border agents are not sure what routes African migrants are using to reach the U.S., but like their Central American counterparts, they appear to understand the loopholes around American immigration laws. Most of the African groups, according to CBP, are made up of family units. The presence of a related child makes it much more difficult for U.S. officials to quickly deport illegal migrants.
Border Patrol is not sure what routes these African migrants are taking to reach the U.S., but their increased presence at the U.S. southern border is further contributing to the immigration crisis.
