EL PASO, Texas – While many residents of El Paso, west Texas and New Mexico were commemorating the men and women who died in military service for the United States, area Border Patrol Agents were busier than ever taking into custody more than 2,200 illegal aliens who entered the country illegally.

Memorial Day was the busiest recent day of enforcement activity for El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents during the ongoing influx. The 2,200 apprehensions included two large groups and many smaller ones.

The busy day began in the boot heel of New Mexico with a large group of over 200 illegal aliens apprehended near the Antelope Wells Port of Entry just after 2 a.m.

A second enormous group was one of the largest in El Paso Sector thus far with over 430 people. This group crossed the border just west of Bowie High School at around 7 a.m.

By the end of the day, the El Paso Sector Agents had apprehended over 2,200 illegal aliens with 1,850 of those being taken into custody in the geographic area between Executive Boulevard and Midway Street in El Paso.

These groups were comprised of mostly Central American families and unaccompanied children. All of the illegal aliens were taken into custody for processing to include initial medical screenings. They will remain in U.S. Border Patrol custody until they are processed accordingly.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents continue to deal with this influx of illegal aliens entering our country with no respect for our immigration laws. This fiscal year to date the El Paso Sector has arrested over 130 thousand illegal aliens, compared to over 16,000 during the same time last fiscal year. The numbers continue to rise and agents see no end in sight for this current situation.

The men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol will continue to uphold the oath they made to this county by apprehending all of those who attempt to enter our country illegally.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-800-635-2509 toll free.