While many lawmakers are currently concerned about Syrian refugees coming to the U.S., new Border Patrol data shows that non-Mexican immigrants have been crossing the U.S. southern border at record rates, according to The Washington Times.
Some 5,000 unaccompanied children were caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in October, and 3,000 more were caught in the first half of November - record numbers for those months, according to the Times.
Each of the nine Southwest border sectors showed spikes in the number of non-Mexican immigrants attempting to cross.
Since the fiscal year began on Oct. 1, nearly 25,000 illegal immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala have been caught - a 58 percent increase from this time last year, according to Border Patrol data.
Even more staggering is the increased number of Chinese, Brazilians, Indians and Cubans attempting to come to the U.S., with each surging by more than 100 percent, according to the Times. The number of immigrants coming from Pakistan has spiked by more than 400 percent, from 6 percent to 31 percent.
Despite reports of Syrians being apprehended at the border, they did not make the Border Patrol list. So far, 13 Syrians have been caught trying to make their way into the U.S. through the "Gateway to the Americas Bridge" in Laredo, Texas, according to KGNS.
"The greatest existential threat to this nation right now is this administration's open-border policy. This is no longer about immigration, it's about the president and DHS keeping open the corridors on the southern border that are accessible to anyone in the world," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., according to the Times.
"We can defend our country against another country's navy, a missile threat and even repel a conventional military invasion. But the president's policy of allowing anyone into the nation as students or refugees presents a serious threat," he added.
Border Patrol officials didn't attempt to explain the surge, but according to both the Obama administration and illegal immigrants themselves, the surge can be attributed to a perceived relaxation of border enforcement and a belief that the administration will give immigrants a free pass upon reaching the U.S. border, as the Associated Press reported.
