Illegal Immigrant Encounters in February Surge to Record High for Month

The number of illegal immigrant encounters has soared in February to the highest level for any prior February on record.

A group of more than 1,000 illegal immigrants walks toward a U.S. Border Patrol field processing center after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 18, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images

The number of illegal immigrants encountered between ports of entry or who presented themselves to customs officials in February soared to the highest level compared to any prior February on record, new data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows.

There were 140,644 illegal alien encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border, per CBP data released on March 22, which does not include people who evaded capture.