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 an all-time high number of border arrests and the worst September on record as the United States continues to face a crisis at our southern border:
“I am alarmed that the new CBP operational statistics show that our nation saw an all-time high number of border arrests and the worst September on record as the unlawful migration crisis of the Biden administration’s own doing continues. The Border Patrol has now made nearly two million apprehensions of unlawful migrants during the 2021 fiscal year. CBP reported more than 190,000 total encounters at the border in September, the worst September on record. This includes more than 64,000 migrant family members; more than 113,000 single adult migrants, which comprised nearly 60 percent of all encounters; and more than 14,000 unaccompanied children.
“At a time when we are experiencing the all-time high number of apprehensions at the border, we should not be terminating border barrier contracts in the Laredo and Rio Grande Valley as the Biden administration announced earlier this month. Congress has appropriated funding for the border wall and enhanced technology to ensure border security and the Biden administration is required to use the funds consistent with their appropriated purpose. The failure of this administration to control our southern border has resulted in record levels of deadly fentanyl coming into our country which has contributed to the growing strength of Mexican transnational criminal organizations.”
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