Migrant arrivals along U.S. border soared to 221,000 in March, the highest tally since 2000

The number of migrant arrivals along the U.S. southern border soared in March to the highest levels since 2000, surpassing 200,000 for only the third time during the Biden administration, according to government statistics submitted to a federal court Friday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported processing migrants 221,303 times along the Mexican border last month, which overtook the previous peak under the Biden administration in July 2021, when U.S. officials recorded 213,593 migrant encounters, agency figures show.

Nearly 210,000 of the migrant encounters last month were recorded by Border Patrol, which arrests migrants who entered the U.S. illegally. The last time monthly Border Patrol apprehensions were higher was in March 2000, when the agency reported 220,063 migrant arrests, according to historical CBP data.