Homeland security head Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday the United States has encountered an “unprecedented” number of migrants illegally crossing the border. In July, Customs and Border Protection took more than 212,000 people into custody. The spike from June to July was also notable because arrests usually drop during the hottest summer weeks.
More cities in Afghanistan are falling to the Taliban, including the second biggest city, Kandahar. Kandahar is a traditional stronghold for the militant group and a key economic hub. Three thousand American troops are being sent to secure the U.S. Embassy. State Department spokesman Ned Price said, “This is not an abandonment ... What this is, is a reduction in the size of our civilian footprint.” And the UN says more than 18 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance there as the conflict escalates.
