WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released operational statistics showing a record number of border arrests in December as the United States continues to face a crisis at our southern border:
“The December CBP operational statistics show that the unlawful migration crisis continues to grow, even during traditionally slower months. As I have previously stated, this ongoing crisis at our southern border is a product of the Biden administration’s own policies. CBP reported more than 178,840 total encounters at the border in December, the highest December on record. This includes more than 50,000 migrant family members, a 15 percent increase from November; more than 114,000 single adult migrants; and more than 11,000 unaccompanied children.
“Normally, unlawful migration would be decreasing over the colder winter months, instead we continue to see surging, record-breaking levels of encounters at the border. As I have told Biden administration officials countless times, they must act to secure our border – now is not the time to incentivize unlawful migration by continuing their failed policies. I call on the Biden administration to implement a plan to curb the influx of unlawful migrants and illicit narcotics so our communities in Ohio and across the country can be safe and secure.”
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