(AP)

(CNSNews.com) – United States Border Patrol apprehension of “family units” on the U.S.-Mexico border was up 97% in the first eleven months of fiscal 2016 (October 2015 through August 2016) compared to the same period in fiscal 2015/.

Border Patrol apprehensions of unaccompanied alien children was 52% higher in the first eleven monhts of fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015.

In the first eleven months of fiscal year 2016, there were 68,080 family units apprehended at the southwest border--up from 34,565 for the same period in fiscal year 2015.

A family unit “represents the number of individuals (either a child under 18 years of age, parent or legal guardian) apprehended with a family member by the U.S. Border Patrol.”

The exact number of people in each “family unit” is not provided in the Border Patrol statistics.

The 68,080 is 1,936 more than the same period in fiscal year 2014 (Oct. 1 to Sept. 30) when 66,144 family units were apprehended at the Southwest border by the Border Patrol.

The number of unaccompanied alien children – those apprehended without a relative or guardian – also increased in the first eleven months of fiscal 2016.

In those eleven months, 54,052 children were apprehended--up 52% from the 35,485 apprehended during the same time period in fiscal year 2015.