Arrests of illegal migrants from Mexico hit a record high in May, reports the Wall Street Journal, The arrest total increased by 10 percent over April. Many of those arrested had a history of border cross attempts. As COVID-19 travel restrictions eased, illegal border crossings have risen. Since October, over one million arrests have been made. Officials predict that warm weather and political and economic turmoil will cause crossings to increase during the summer months.
According to government data, nearly 70 percent of those arrested in May were unaccompanied adults. Families and children also crossed in high numbers. Although Mexico has the highest number of illegal border crossings, migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean are also common. The record-high number has become a key issue for Republicans during the 2022 midterm elections. The border is still closed to asylum seekers under President Trump's COVID-19 restrictions. President Biden has sought to ease those restrictions but has been blocked by federal courts.