Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – The March arrests by U.S. border officials of 210,000 Mexican migrants trying to cross the border were the largest in over two decades. This is a sign that President Joe Biden faces significant challenges ahead.

March’s total represents a 24% rise over the previous month, which saw 169,000 migrants being picked up at border. This was the beginning of an increase in migration, leaving thousands of unaccompanied children stranded in border patrol stations for many days as they waited to be placed in government shelters.

Biden was a Democrat and he took office on January 20, 2121. His pledge to reverse many hardline immigration policies of Trump’s Republican predecessor. But he has been plagued by high number of failed crossings, both politically as well operationally.

Republicans who are hoping to control the U.S. Congress at Nov. 8, midterm elections, claim Biden’s rollbacks of Trump-era policies have encouraged greater illegal immigration.

Biden officials warn that immigration could continue to rise after U.S. Health officials announced they will lift a Pandemic-era Border Order by May 23, Title 42 permits asylum seekers and migrants to be quickly expelled to Mexico to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.

More than half the migrants who have crossed the border to the U.S. from Mexico in the past months were from traditional send countries like Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. However, more migrants are arriving from faraway places such as Russia and Ukraine.

U.S. officials have begun to prepare for 18,000 migrants encounters daily over the coming weeks. But, there are smaller increases.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics, March saw 210,000 immigrants arrested. This number was made public by a court filing Friday night. It is the largest monthly total since February 2000.

According to court filings, another 11,000 migrants tried to cross the border legally at the southwest border in March but were denied a visa or permission.

The court filing stated that roughly half of migrants in March were expelled pursuant to Title 42.