The number of migrants had fallen to the second lowest in 20 years during the pandemic. However, since then, encounters with migrants have increased to rates similar to those in 2000. Migrant encounters are described as apprehensions in which migrants are taken into custody in the U.S. and await adjunction, or as expulsions in which migrants are immediately expelled to their home country or their last country of transit without being held in U.S. custody. Apprehensions are much more common than expulsions, and expulsions have declined over the last 2 years. Since the pandemic, a majority of migrants encountered come from countries other than Mexico and the Northern Triangle region.
The PEW article written by John Gramlich gives a detailed description of the number of migrant encounters over the last twenty years, and comments on the use of Title 42 which allows U.S. Border Patrol to expel most migrants they encountered at the border, which changed between the Trump and Biden administration. As well as details demographic rates in where migrants originated. The fact that there has been such a large increase in rates post-pandemic is very notable, as well as the shift in the demographics of migrants. This is an important change in levels as it may in indicative of a larger change in policy and global dynamics. Such as changes made in policy due to the pandemic and changes in the party of the presidency, as well as changes in international policies. While Gramlich does not make any personal assessments on this data and remains neutral in the manner in which he talks about migrants, many conclusions can be drawn by the reader through the statistics given.
The article provides numerous graphics of statistics describing migrant monthly encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, the use of Title 42, and the demographics of migrants in border encounters. The graphs are extremely detailed and clearly display the results of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. This data includes all recorded encounters between migrants and border patrol including adjunction and expulsion. Noting that the data does in fact record instances of encounters, and not individuals and that the same individual may have encountered border patrol multiple times. The data is listed by year, or biyearly, over the course of the two years post years, 2020, 2021, and 2022. As well as the rate of migrant encounters over the last 22 years. I believe that the quantitative data included in the article provides a strong and comprehensive description of the border situation.
This article does not include qualitative data and considering the number of migrant encounters is the important statistic in this case I do not feel as though this weakens the article. The focus of the article is the number of migrant encounters with border patrol, categorized by things like country of origin, demographic on relationship status, and whether title 42 or 8 was used during the encounter.
I believe that Gramlich does a great job of concisely explaining the increase in migrant encounters and demonstrates this with easy-to-read graphs that help to relay this information. The reader can clearly see that there has been a stark increase in migrant encounters over the last 2 years post-pandemic, and the level of migrant encounters is the highest it has been since 2000. Encounters using title 42 is the lowest it has been since 2020, and more migrants from countries other than Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries are encountering border patrol. This describes the assumed shift in migrants attempting to enter the U.S. and is a notable difference for class discussion.
Source
Gramlich, John. Monthly encounters with migrants at U.S.-Mexico border remain near record highs. Pew Research Center. January 13, 2023.