Apprehensions At US-Mexico Border Plummet

Published: Monday, September 9, 2019 - 2:06pm

Migration through the U.S.-Mexico border plummeted last month to little more than half what it was during the height of apprehensions this past spring.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection tallied about 64,000 people who were apprehended or who were turned away at the border in August. That’s a drop of 56% from last May when officials declared CBP was overwhelmed.

Acting commissioner Mark Morgan credited agreements with Central American countries and with Mexico for much of the reduction, especially the controversial Migration Protection Protocols that force asylum seekers to wait their turn.

"Here’s a couple of key points of MPP. It discourages the abuse and exploitation of US laws and non meritorious or false asylum claims," he said.

But it’s also led to bloodshed as migrants are targeted in some border cities while they wait to plead their case for asylum.

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