190,000 Migrant Encounters In June Mark 21-Year High

The  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Friday there were nearly 190,000 migrant encounters at the southern border in June, bringing the total number of migrant encounters for the 2021 fiscal year to more than 1 million. June's numbers also mark the highest number of monthly border encounters since 223,000 migrant encounters were recorded in March 2000. Last June, there were 33,049 migrant encounters; the number of encounters with unaccompanied children also increased from 14,137 in May to 15,253 in June. The CBP said 104,907 migrants were expelled last month under Title 42, a Trump-era public health order that returns migrants to Mexico without the opportunity to claim asylum, and that the higher number of migrant encounters is likely due to repeat encounters with those expelled under Title 42. Some media outlets have reported that the Biden administration plans to end the policy on July 31. 

The story received wide coverage from across the political spectrum; outlets on the left and center tended to focus on the number of migrants, while some outlets on the right highlighted widespread criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris' handling of the border.