Overview

• October saw a record high of migrant encounters at the southern border with over 240,000 people encountered.
• Despite a slight decrease from September's numbers, October's figures remain historically high.
• The Biden administration's resumption of deportation flights to Venezuela has reportedly led to a 65% decrease in southwest border encounters of Venezuelans in the second half of October.
• Republicans have criticized the Biden administration's border policies, blaming them for the ongoing migrant crisis.
• The Biden administration has requested $14 billion for border operations, arguing that comprehensive immigration reform and more funding are needed to fix a 'broken' system.