(NewsNation) — For the first time in over twenty years, San Diego has surpassed all other sectors in border encounters in April as thousands of migrants use the California entry point each week.
San Diego saw 37,370 encounters, surpassing Tucson with 31,240; El Paso with 30,410; and Del Rio with 10,275.
Since October 1, the San Diego sector has “witnessed an alarming 214,855 apprehensions, which speaks volumes about the magnitude of the challenge we face,” Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon, a San Diego suburb, said.
San Diego Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel said April apprehensions have contributed to what will likely be a record year for the San Diego Sector, which is one of nine sectors along the southern border, reported Border Report.
“Last fiscal year, we had 230,000. This year, we’ve already had 200,000,” she said.
In the last week of April alone, border agents apprehended over 10,000 migrants from 69 countries, according to figures McGurk-Daniel posted on X.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said in a statement the number of apprehensions in the San Diego Sector has “propelled San Diego to the unfortunate position of leading all nine southern border sectors in April, a trend unseen since the 1990s.”
“This is an invasion. Every night, hundreds of illegal immigrants enter the southern border and wait for Border Patrol to take them to San Diego. I saw this firsthand as dozens of Chinese nationals were on a remote dirt road, waiting for Border Patrol to process them. I also saw dozens of ripped-up passports indicating that illegal immigrants are trying to conceal their identity. We don’t know who is coming in or their background,” Wells said.
“Since September, we have seen over 40,000 street releases in San Diego County. This is not only a humanitarian crisis but also a significant security risk for our region and our nation,” he said, adding that it is “abundantly clear that the federal government has failed in its duty to secure our borders.”