Migrant encounters at southern border in February surged 63% over last year: CBP data

Migrant encounters at the southern border in February were 63% higher than the same time last year, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data released Tuesday, with more than 160,000 encounters by border authorities.

There were 164,973 encounters in February, compared to 101,099 encounters in February last year -- a month that preceded a massive surge in numbers in the spring and summer months that overwhelmed Border Patrol but that the administration denied was a crisis. In February 2020 there were just 36,687 encounters.

Numbers have decreased since August, but remained high compared to past years. There were 153,941 migrant encounters in Jan. 2022 compared to 78,414 migrant encounters in Jan. 2021. February marks a 7% increase over January’s numbers.