The Biden administration says that the border is closed and its policies are keeping the southern border secure. The temporary dip in apprehensions of illegal immigrants when Title 42 ended in May was supposed to be proof that DHS was doing its job.

That is all malarkey, as anyone interested in what is happening at the southern border knows. At the time, DHS was warned that the dip in apprehensions of illegal crossers would not last long. The drug cartels and human traffickers would regroup and begin to use new routes to get drugs and victims across the border. That is exactly what is happening.

A massive 33% spike in illegal immigration was recorded in July. Federal data was released on Friday. It shows that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered 183,503 more migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in July than in June. In May, migrant encounters were at 206,701, and in June dropped to 144,566. That was certainly a step in the right direction and Biden administration touted new programs and policies as the reason for the drop.

As predicted, the drop was temporary. A phone app put in place to help migrants make appointments at legal ports of entry is a big part of DHS’s plan. Known as CBP One, 44,700 migrants were processed through the phone app in July, up from the 38,000 processed in June. An increase in those who are trying to enter legally is welcomed. The encounters with those illegally entering outnumber the legal crossers. There is an attempt at happy talk from DHS. The department says the numbers are up but still less than in the months before Title 42 ended.

According to its press release, CBP encounters were lower along the border than in July 2022.

“We remain vigilant and continue to adjust our operational plans to maximize enforcement efforts against those individuals who do not use lawful pathways or processes, knowing that smugglers continue to use disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals,” said Troy A. Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner. “Every day, the men and women of CBP are rescuing and rendering aid to individuals sent into harm’s way by callous smugglers, while at the same time, increasing seizures of dangerous drugs, and processing high volumes of summer travelers.”

Summer travelers. That language makes it sound as though the illegal border crossers are innocent tourists. The press release also makes it sound as though we should be thrilled that fewer single adults are being apprehended. The truth is that part of the regrouping by the cartels and other nefarious actors along the Mexican border is that they understand that family groups are more likely to be allowed to remain in the U.S. during their asylum process. Thanks to the backlog produced by the Biden border crisis, it can take up to 10 years. Single adults are often expelled more quickly. Families, or groups presenting themselves as families, are crossing more frequently now. Cartels and human smugglers adjust to whatever CBP is doing. The number of migrant family crossings more than doubled from June to July 2023.

In July 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 132,652 encounters between ports of entry along the Southwest Border: a decrease of 27% from July 2022 when the Title 42 public health Order was in effect. While total encounters increased from June to July, encounters of Single Adults between ports of entry remained flat which is indicative of the success of our work to maximize the use of Expedited Removal after the end of the Title 42 public health Order, which was initially focused primarily on Single Adults. Additionally, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered fewer single adults on the Southwest Border in the entire month of July than it did in the early days of May before the lifting of Title 42. In July, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered an average of 2,016 Single Adults per day, down from 6,164 per day the first eleven days of May, a decrease of over 66%.

Total Southwest Border encounters in July, including individuals who presented at ports of entry with or without a CBP OneTM appointment, were 183,503, a decrease of 8% from July 2022. Recidivism is down: only 9% of individuals encountered had at least one prior encounter in the previous 12 months. In July 2023, encounters at ports of entry accounted for 28% of Southwest Border encounters, compared to 9% in July 2022.

The situation at the southern border continues to be unacceptable. Our national sovereignty remains at risk, as does our national security. Border communities continue to struggle with the flow of illegal migrants into their towns. Landowners face theft and violence. The Biden border crisis is unsustainable, yet here we are. The administration is not serious about securing the border and we are to be pleased that though the numbers are alarmingly higher than last month, the numbers are a bit down from July 2022. Really? Tell that to Texas taxpayers who are shelling out billions of dollars to fund Operation Lone Star to do the work DHS refuses to do.