U.S. border officials see more migrant families crossing illegally

The number of migrant families apprehended at the U.S. southern border nearly doubled from June to July, marking the highest monthly tally of parents and children since the end of last year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released Friday.

Federal data show that 60,161 of the migrants taken into custody after crossing the border illegally last month were parents and children, up from 31,266 the month before.

Families accounted for nearly half of the total 132,652 migrants apprehended in July, compared with less than a third of arrests in June.

Monthly apprehensions fluctuate but the higher border traffic has stretched into August, according to a Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the numbers. That development worried officials who have rolled out policies in recent weeks designed to reduce illegal crossings.