Border encounters hit Biden record of 221,000 in March – while 80,000 released into U.S.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection service encountered more than 221,000 migrants at the southern border in March, the highest number seen so far under President Joe Biden, with more than 80,000 migrants reported released into the U.S. last month.

In the first half of fiscal year 2022, which began in October, more than 1,025,000 migrants have been encountered by Border Patrol, Fox News' Bill Melugin observed. 

"In the first 6 months of record setting FY'21, there were only 570,826 encounters," he wrote on Twitter. "This means the first 6 months of FY'22 are up 79% over the first 6 months of FY'21."

This marks the third time that more than 200,000 migrants have been encountered in a month at the southern border during the Biden presidency.

The previous record under the current White House was set in July 2021, with more than 213,000 migrant encounters.

Encounters refer to apprehensions, when migrants are taken into custody in the United States, and expulsions, when illegal immigrants are immediately sent out of the US, as defined by Pew Research.

Beginning in March 2021 shortly after Biden took office, migrant encounters have consistently stayed above 150,000 a month.

Filings obtained by Fox News "show that in March there were 123,304​ removals, 109,549 of them were expelled under Title 42, while 80,127​ migrants were released into the U.S., including 36,777​ migrants who were granted humanitarian parole – meaning they are eligible for work permits," the outlet reported.

Border Patrol agents frequently encounter between 7,000 and 8,000 migrants each day, but the administration is reportedly preparing for as many as 18,000 migrants a day to come to the southern border.

The numbers are expected to increase after President Biden ends Title 42, a Trump-era policy used to keep migrants out of the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd last week told "Just the News - Not Noise" that agents' "resources are stretched nearly to the limits" when 3,000 migrants are apprehended a day. 

Border Patrol agents are "overwhelmed" with 8,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions a day, Judd said. 

"Now you're robbing Peter to pay Paul. You're pulling resources from one area, [and] redirecting them to another area. But when you do that you're creating gaps in coverage, and you're creating openings that the cartels can then exploit," he said.