Border crossings surge 23% in March, nearing 200K

Migrant encounters at the U.S. border with Mexico surged 23% in March over February.

Combining migrant encounters between Ports of Entry and those noncitizens processed at Ports of Entry, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection tallied 191,900 arrivals in March. That figure stands considerably higher than the 156,138 tallied in February.

Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller stressed that the March figures were down compared with March of the year prior, saying "CBP works around the clock to perform our vital missions including maintaining border security."

"Overall, in March, encounters of individuals on the Southwest border between ports of entry were down 23% from the prior year, as we continue to respond to the challenges presented by increasing global migration," he continued.

Crucially, the agency noted that more than two-thirds (69%) of those March encounters were single adults.

CBP was adamant that such an increase between February and March is "typical, as winter temperatures rise with the approaching spring." It further noted that the 23% increase between the 2023 months was significantly less than the 34% surge between the same months in 2022.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.