Migrants Arriving at Southern Border Rose Significantly in February

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Wednesday that border agents encountered 100,441 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in February. CBP commissioner Troy Miller said more than 19,000 of those encounters were families, approximately 9,500 were unaccompanied minors and the rest were adults. This marks an increase of over 100% in children and families at the border between January and February, and a 60% increase in unaccompanied minors. Roberta Jacobson, Biden's National Security Council coordinator for the southern border, said Wednesday that the prospect of "a more humane policy" under Biden "may have" contributed to an uptick in the number of migrants at the border since the new administration took office. Biden's immigration policies currently faces broad Republican criticism; the February number marks the highest monthly total since a major border surge in mid-2019. The news received wide coverage from right-rated outlets, and less coverage from left-rated outlets. Coverage from right-rated outlets tended to highlight Republican criticism and contrast Biden's immigration policy with Trump's. Left-rated outlets tended to frame the story as a "challenge for Biden."