SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The head of Mexico’s National Institute of Migration in Baja California said more than 300,000 migrants have crossed the border unlawfully from Tijuana into the San Diego area this calendar year.
David Pérez Tejada said that on average, anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 crossings are taking place every day from the ocean to the mountains 70 miles to the east.
In addition to the higher number of crossings between Baja California and California, Pérez Tejada says illegal crossings near Yuma, Arizona and the Mexicali desert have also gone up.
“We are starting to have joint operations with our counterparts in the state of Sonora to keep migrants from going into the U.S. in that area,” he said.
Meantime, Enrique Lucero, director of Tijuana’s Migrant Affairs Office, says his department has noticed unlawful ventures into the U.S. have gone up by 50 percent since 2022.
“The number of irregular crossings is triple the number of people legally crossing the border with a CBP One app,” says Lucero. “Let’s remember, last year, there were organizations arranging for about 200 appointments per day, now there are 400 people crossing with the CBP One.
Like U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Lucero is warning migrants to refrain from crossing the border, especially now that a storm is hitting the region bringing colder temperatures and rain to the mountains east of San Diego where many illegal crossings are taking place.
He is also asking migrants to remain patient while they wait for a CBP One app to cross the border.
Lucero says it’s too dangerous to rely on smugglers who often force asylum-seekers to scale the 30-foot barriers along the border.
“This year, 28 migrants have lost their lives falling from the border fences, last year we had 42.”
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