Arrests of migrant families rose 38 percent in August in what Trump officials call a ‘crisis’ at the border

A mother and her 5-year-old daughter from Honduras are detained by U.S. border agents in San Luis, Ariz., in July. Credit: Matt York, AP

The number of migrant family members arrested for illegally entering the United States shot up 38 percent in August, according to statistics released Wednesday, a surge homeland security officials characterized as a “crisis.”

Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 13,000 members of “family units” last month, the latest data shows, the highest August total ever recorded. The increase followed President Trump’s decision to back off the provision of his “zero tolerance” crackdown that separated children from parents in an attempt to deter illegal migration.

Migration numbers typically rebound in August after a summer lull. Overall, the number of foreigners apprehended or deemed “inadmissible” at border crossings rose to 46,560 in August, up from 40,011 in July.

View the complete September 12, 2018, article by Nick Miroff on the Washington Post website.