RNC Statement on May Border Encounters

Nearly 240,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended crossing the border in May, the highest one-month total in DHS history.

WASHINGTON – Today, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released the following statement on the May border numbers showing that Biden's border crisis is growing worse:

“Joe Biden’s border crisis is inhumane and is destroying communities – his open border empowers drug traffickers and criminals. It is long overdue for Biden to see first-hand the harm and devastation he created and go visit the border for himself. There are lives at stake and communities being destroyed, yet Biden and the Democrats don’t care.”

Background:

• In May, 239,416 illegal immigrants were apprehended attempting to cross the southern border, making this the highest one-month total in DHS history. 
  • It’s a 32 percent increase over last May, and a 300 percent increase from the average number of May apprehensions during the Trump administration.
• More than 3.5 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since Biden took office.
• This includes the 2.9 million illegal immigrants that Customs and Border Protection have apprehended and more than 600,000 gotaways that have escaped into the U.S. undetected.
• 1,101 pounds of deadly fentanyl and 10,528 pounds of methamphetamine were seized at the southern border in May alone, with much more likely getting through.
• The amount of fentanyl seized in May is the equivalent of more than 249 million lethal doses. 
• Illicit drugs are flowing into the country at an alarming rate, with only a fraction being intercepted as border officials struggle to contain the smuggling.