For the past few weeks, the media has been consumed by the spectacle of red state governors sending migrants to blue states. But this is a symptom of a serious problem: The number of migrants apprehended while attempting to enter the U.S. has spiked since President Biden took office, topping 1.8 million so far this year — more than four times the total for 2020. In addition, the number of what U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls “gotaways” — migrants who successfully entered the U.S. who CBP are no longer actively pursuing — is also on the rise.
Far too many Democratic and Republican leaders are choosing soundbites and theatrics instead of buckling down to address a national crisis that, as the Smart Chart below shows, keeps getting worse.
