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Post being replied to

The number of non South/Central American migrants by 88_92WSND

reaching US border crossings with Mexico has skyrocketed in the last two years.

"The number of migrants encountered at the U.S. border with Mexico from countries outside of Latin America and the Caribbean increased by 43% between the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years, according to CBP data."

A significant number are from China, but Africa and the Middle East are also increasing. There are over 20,000 new "encounters" a month in the CBPs Southern region with people who are not from South/Central America/Carribean or the big others (China, India, Russia) (per CPB dashboard).

The last year readily available 2019 - well before this surge -- that had specific country breakouts, CBP reported 34 Yemenis, 14 Iranians. For comparison, the 2015 Paris attacks were committed by 9 men, Brussels by 10.

Fortunately, to date, there has been only one attack linked to someone who crossed the US Mexico border illegally who then crossed into Canada. That one seems like more of a mental illness than a terrorist thing, though.

Considering how much we spend checking visitors and immigration through the front door (customs officials and screening at embassies, visas, and the port of entry screening efforts at airports), it seems foolish not to pay more attention to the unlocked screen door of the Southern Border. It'd be a hell of a lot more efficient to grease some palms in Brazil and drive up than to try to sneak in through JFK or Logan.