Illegal crossings on the US-Mexico border rose in July but were still down from last year

By ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press

U.S. border authorities stopped migrants entering the country illegally more than 33% more often in July than in June, suggesting lower numbers that followed the end of pandemic-related asylum restrictions may have bottomed out. Biden administration officials insist their carrot-and-stick approach of expanding legal routes while imposing more punitive measures on those who enter illegally is working. They note that illegal crossings still fell 27% from July 2002 and were well below the days before the pandemic-era asylum rules ended on May 11.