Illegal immigration across the southwest border appears to have surged 25 percent in 2018, setting new records for migrant families nabbed by the Border Patrol.

More than 107,000 illegal immigrant parents and children traveling together were caught by the Border Patrol in fiscal year 2018, shattering the old record of about 78,000 set in 2016.

September was also the worst month on record for families, with 16,658 people caught in that month alone by the Border Patrol — higher than even the worst years of the Obama administration.

The number of people caught is considered a yardstick of the overall flow, so a rise in apprehensions is considered to signal a rise in people who successfully sneak in.

The numbers come as President Trump is pushing for more action to deter illegal immigration, with a caravan of thousands more illegal immigrant families from Central America heading north.

The Border Patrol nabs illegal immigrants attempting to cross between the ports of entry. Customs and Border Protection officers, meanwhile, police the official ports — and stop tens of thousands more illegal immigrants who show up demanding entry.

Combined, they encountered 521,090 unauthorized migrants from Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2018. That’s up 25 percent compared to the previous fiscal year.





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