SAN ANTONIO (AP) — About 7,000 migrants are being stopped crossing the border daily from Mexico, the U.S. Border Patrol chief said Tuesday, a sharp increase from February that comes as the Biden administration nears a decision on whether to end sweeping asylum restrictions designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Chief Raul Ortiz said 1,500 Cubans were stopped over the previous day, well more than double the daily average from February. He nodded when asked to confirm that about 7,000 migrants were being stopped, which compares with a daily average of about 5,900 in February.
The sharp increases, if sustained, may surpass levels of migration reached last year, in 2019 and other peak periods.
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