CBP said that 180,034 migrants were encountered along the border, a slight increase over the 178,000 encountered in April and 172,000 were encountered in March – all representing the highest numbers in years. March saw a big increase from the 100,000 migrants encountered in February. The surge in migration has overwhelmed border officials and led to the Biden administration scrambling to set up facilities at the border and elsewhere in the U.S. It has been releasing migrant family units into the interior, often without court dates, due to Mexico’s refusal to take back families with small children. CBP noted that many of those encountered were expelled via Title 42 public health protections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 180,000 encountered, 112,302 were expelled via Title 42, many of them single adults. The agency also noted that Title 42 expulsions have led to an increase in encounters as migrants are more likely to make multiple attempts to gain entry into the U.S.