Migrant Encounters at Southern Border Surge by 30% in December

Arizona Governor Deploys National Guard as Smugglers Exploit Border Wall Breaches

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported a significant increase in migrant encounters at the southern border, with approximately 167,000 encounters in the first 17 days of December, marking a 30% increase from November.
Many migrants are entering through holes cut into the border wall by smugglers, rather than through official points of entry.
CBP officers are being redeployed to detain those waiting in the desert, as smugglers misinform migrants that they will be picked up and processed by U.S. officials.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has ordered National Guard troops to the state's southern border in response to the crisis, criticizing the federal government's handling of border security.
Unofficial reports indicate that approximately 121,000 migrants were apprehended in the first 15 days of December, with an additional 11,000 listed as 'got-aways'.