CBP released its December monthly report and the numbers are bad. As predicted, the number of apprehensions in December was the highest ever recorded.

The report shows that there were 302,034 recorded apprehensions at the southern border. There were 19 illegal immigrants apprehended who were on the terror watch list.

BREAKING: In Friday news dump, CBP officially reports 302,034 migrant encounters in December, the highest month ever recorded. CBP also reports Border Patrol arrested 19 people on the FBI terror watchlist in December, bringing the total to 50 arrests for fiscal year 2024 so far.

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 26, 2024

Here’s the thing – even for Biden’s DHS, this report was released very late in the month. It was released on the last Friday news dump of the month, January 26. The report was finished weeks ago and intentionally not released. DHS Secretary Mayorkas knew how bad the numbers were and wanted to wait to release them with as little attention as possible. CBP monthly reports have been released later and later each month and frequently in Friday afternoon news dumps when fewer people are paying attention to the news cycle.

I noted that the December numbers from CBP had not been released in a post I wrote earlier on Friday. I noted at the time that I expected the report to be released in a Friday news dump. It was easy to predict because of the administration’s past behavior with the reports. The numbers are bad and the release was delayed as long as possible. I told you this was the plan.

The monthly report begins with a recap of the actions taken by those doing the work along the southern border. Blah, blah, blah, the department needs more resources and support from Congress. In other words, the department wants more money.

“The men and women of CBP continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws at and between ports of entry and continue to work with our Mexican partners along our shared border. CBP remains vigilant to respond to the serious challenges we are experiencing across the southwest border,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller. “CBP continues to use all available resources to ensure the safety and security of our agents and officers, and the migrants who are often misled and victimized by the transnational criminal organizations. But as we have repeatedly said, CBP and our federal partners need additional support from Congress so that we can continue to effectuate consequences for those who do not use established lawful pathways.”

CBP continues to work closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to quickly process individuals encountered at the border and remove those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States, utilizing consequences strengthened by the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule. From May 2023 to December 31, DHS removed or returned a record number of individuals—over 472,000—the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest border, including more than 78,800 individual family members. The majority of all individuals encountered at the southwest border over the past three years have been removed, returned, or expelled. Total removals and returns since mid-May exceed removals and returns in every full fiscal year since 2015.

The reason I highlight the plea for more resources and support from Congress is because this is the administration’s narrative. Biden and his minions are under fire for the border crisis that has turned into a complete catastrophe because more people are paying attention to it. Even Democrats in sanctuary cities and states are speaking out and demanding that the border be closed and secured. It’s a presidential election year and Biden is running for re-election. So, he tosses this hot potato issue to Congress. He thinks he can wash his hands of the chaos by whining that he sent legislation to Congress when he first came into office and those mean Republicans won’t vote for it. What he doesn’t say is that Republicans have passed legislation and Democrats won’t vote on it. It’s the standard vicious cycle – Democrats put up legislation that gives blanket amnesty, for example, and Republicans will not go for that.

Congress can act to reform immigration laws and should. But, the fact remains that Joe Biden does not need to wait on action in Congress. He can close and secure the southern right now by whipping out his pen and signing executive orders. He can and should reinstate the Remain in Mexico program and end catch and release. Those are just two things that would bring positive results immediately. He knows it but he just wants to continue to do nothing and blame Republicans for his dereliction of duty.

Biden’s border crisis is intentional. There is no way the president watches as his policies allow millions of illegal immigrants to cross the southern border for over three years and do nothing without it being his plan all along. His first duty as president is to secure the homeland and protect American citizens.

A reminder, these numbers have been known internally for a long time, we had them leaked to us weeks ago. These numbers were officially released late on a Friday afternoon, after the White House presser, and right as Trump jury decision news comes out.https://t.co/fXYG4YkHeW

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 26, 2024

The catastrophe at the border has escalated. As the Biden DOJ continues to sue Texas for trying to do what it can to secure the Texas border with Mexico, other states have noticed. Red states have come together to support Governor Abbott and his efforts through Operation Lone Star, the initiative he began in March 2021 to counter Biden’s open border. Twenty-five Republican governors have come out in support of Abbott over Biden.

The Senate is working on an immigration bill and Republicans are using leverage to stop it if it is not a good bill. The funding for the border is part of a bill that funds Ukraine, too. Biden is desperate for funding for Ukraine. He now says he’ll work with Congress to get legislation passed. He’s even saying he will close the border if the legislation allows him to do so.

President Joe Biden said on Friday that the border deal being negotiated in the U.S. Senate was the “toughest and fairest” set of reforms possible and vowed to shut down the border the day he signs the bill.

“What’s been negotiated would – if passed into law – be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country,” Biden said in a statement.

“It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law,” he said.
That’s all political posturing from a man who knows his re-election bid is in trouble and immigration is a top issue for voters this year.

That is political posturing. That’s all it is.

You can read this tweet to see the details of the legislation. It’s long but a good recap of what is there.

BREAKING: Senate border deal details, per source familiar I just had a call with.

– Mandatory detention of all single adults.

– Mandatory “shut down” of border once average daily migrant encounters hits 5,000. Importantly, this 5,000 number includes 1,400 CBP One app…

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 27, 2024

It is not a good bill and Republicans should hold the line and reject it. The daily total of 5,000 encounters before the border is shut down is unacceptable, for example. That is an invitation for almost 2M illegal immigrants each year. No.

LOL they think we can't do math
5,000 people a day x 365 = 1,825,000 illegals a year!

How about zero?

— Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) January 27, 2024

Securing the border means securing the border. Biden made this mess. Republicans have to stand together and refuse to accept the bill.