Flood of illegal migrants to the border outpaces last two years with 1.1M expected in fiscal year 2019

Federal law enforcement based on the U.S.-Mexico border are expected to encounter 1.1 million people trying to cross illegally by the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30, despite Mexico's assistance stopping migrants on their journey north. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson forecast the 1.1 million figure during a committee hearing Tuesday based off the number of people arrested for illegally entering between border crossings and those who presented at ports of entry but were deemed ineligible for admittance. As of June 30, U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel had made contact with 905,926 migrants, including 694,229 who entered the country without permission. The 694,229 figure nine months into fiscal 2019 was more than double the 310,000 who illegally crossed the southern border in all of fiscal 2017. This year's number has already surpassed the 683,178 encountered both at ports of entry and between ports in fiscal 2018. Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, said the Border Patrol agents who work the spaces between border crossing points took 3,000 people into custody on an average day in June. The highest-ever day was recorded earlier this year when 4,652 people were arrested. This fiscal year, nearly half a million children who traveled alone or people who arrived with a family member have been taken into custody. "As of June, first nine months of this final year, 495,000 children and family units have come to this country. If June’s pace continues, we’ll be over 700,000," Johnson said...MORE