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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Did illegal crossings from Mexico into the US return to ‘crisis’ levels in late 2020?

By Mia Dillon
YES

Official figures suggest unauthorized border crossings from Mexico into the U.S. have in recent months again passed 2014 levels that President Obama termed an “actual humanitarian crisis on the border.”

Figures for unsuccessful border crossings are a closely-watched indicator of immigration pressures. In May 2014, federal agents along the southern border apprehended or denied entry to 1,958 people a day. In May 2019, the number peaked at 4,287 daily encounters. It fell amid pandemic travel restrictions in the U.S. and along migration routes from Central America, hitting a low in April 2020 of 570/day. Attempts then began to rebound, reaching 2,526/day in January 2021.

The numbers suggest the Trump administration’s hardline policies “ultimately failed,” the Bipartisan Policy Center observes, while migrants think the Biden administration “may make access easier and are planning accordingly.”

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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