Unaccompanied children caught trying to cross the Mexican border into the US are at record numbers and there is no sign of the usual summer slowdown.
The American authorities picked up more than 19,000 in July, exceeding the previous monthly high of 18,877 in March, according to preliminary government figures.
The June total was 15,253. The number of migrants who came in family groups is also likely to reach about 80,000 last month, up from 55,805 in June and its second highest total on record.
Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for the new wave. It has reversed hardline measures put in place by President Trump, such as his “remain in Mexico” policy that required all asylum seekers to stay on the other side of the border while their case was assessed.
President Biden also suspended construction of a more secure border wall commissioned by his predecessor.
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The US border authorities apprehended migrants about 210,000 times at the border last month, up from 188,829 in June and the highest in more than 20 years, David Shahoulian of the Department of Homeland Security, said.
Preliminary numbers show that in the first 29 days of July there was a daily average of 6,779 people, including 616 unaccompanied children and 2,583 who came in families. The figures include some adults who are expelled at once and try to cross repeatedly.
The rising numbers have strained holding facilities, with 17,778 people in custody on Sunday, despite a “Covid-19 adjusted capacity” of 4,706. The Rio Grande Valley sector in south Texas was holding 10,002 of them.
A court challenge to end mass expulsions resumed this week. “We are deeply disappointed that the Biden administration has abandoned its promise of fair and humane treatment for families seeking safety, leaving us no choice but to resume litigation,” said Neela Chakravartula, managing attorney for the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies.