Over a Million Migrants Illegally Crossed the Border in the First 4 Months of 2023

By Hudson Crozier

The numbers are in: In the first four months of 2023, just over a million people illegally crossed the U.S. southern border—a group larger than the populations of Delaware, Vermont, Alaska, Wyoming, North Dakota, or South Dakota. And that was before the end of the pandemic-era regulation known as Title 42 this month, which is expected to dramatically increase illegal border crossings.

Biden’s border response: The Biden administration has repelled over 11,000 migrants from the border since May 12 and touts that there’s been a 70 percent drop in border encounters since that date. But that doesn’t account for the hundreds of thousands who evade capture, which is thought to be greatly underreported. The administration has called on numerous federal agencies to assist border officials.

In Congress: As President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats fight strict border security proposals and push for leniency, the House GOP conducts committee investigations to scrutinize Bidden’s border policies. However, a new bipartisan bill in the House would enact a series of long-term measures to prevent and punish illegal border crossings while offering “dignity and redemption” to illegal immigrants through various programs that would let some stay in America.

In the states: The federal government’s response simply isn’t enough to secure the border in the near future. For now, state-level leaders across the country are throwing their weight behind Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, including 24 governors who have offered to lend him personnel and supplies. Officials of the border state have managed to effectively block some points of entry at the southern border. Additionally, Florida sued the Biden administration for its plans to release migrants without court dates, leading a judge to place a two-week restraining order on the administration’s plan.