Migrant arrivals at Mexican border increased in February, with 55% quickly expelled

Migrant arrivals at the southern border jumped by 7% in February from the previous month, but U.S. immigration officials also increased deportations, expelling over half of those who entered government custody using rules first issued under the Trump administration, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data published Tuesday.

U.S. border authorities recorded 164,973 migrant apprehensions last month, compared to 153,941 detentions in January, the CBP figures show. Expulsions of migrants under a pandemic-era restriction put in place in 2020 rose by 17% to 91,513, representing 55% of all border encounters in February.

The jump in immigration arrests along the Mexican border was largely fueled by a significant increase in arrivals of migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Colombia, as well as a higher arrest tally for single adults, many of whom try to enter the U.S. illegally multiple times after being expelled.