Border agents arrest over 400 illegals in 2 days, as agency announces record month for apprehensions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Border Patrol agent near McAllen, Texas, apprehends illegal immigrants last March, shortly after they crossed the border from Mexico. (LOREN ELLIOTT/AFP/Getty Images)
Border agents arrested over 400 illegal immigrants, including children, mainly from Central America, from Tuesday to Wednesday. This, after the agency announced that October apprehensions set a record for this year.
A group of 82 migrants were captured illegally crossing into the United States near the San Luis Port just before midnight on Tuesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a press release that most represented family units from Guatemala, with the exception of three individuals from El Salvador.
The youngest in the group was 2, the oldest 48.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Almost four hours later, a second group of 83 illegal aliens were seen trying to enter the same port of entry by digging beneath the wall. CBP said this group also consisted mostly of Guatemalans, with 14 people from El Salvador.
In total, Border Patrol agents with the Yuma Station apprehended 449 illegal immigrants by the end of Wednesday.
The large number of arrests comes just as the agency announced Friday that October apprehensions surpassed 50,000 – a new high this year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The report stated that 50,975 people were apprehended on the southwest border in October, double the number from October last year and the highest monthly figure since 2014.
That figure included almost 5,000 unaccompanied minors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Trump issued an executive order Friday declaring that anyone entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico outside established posts would be ineligible for asylum – a measure that was almost immediately challenged with a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.