Border gotaways spike dramatically under Biden



The number of nationwide gotaways has skyrocketed during President Joe Biden's White House tenure, according to statistics reported by Fox News' Bill Melugin, who indicated that he obtained more than a decade of data via a Freedom of Information Act request.

Some of the numbers include 104,294 for FY 2017; 128,679 for FY 2018; 151,466 for FY 2019; 136,808 for FY 2020; 387,398 in FY 2021; 606,131 in FY 2022; and a whopping 670,674 in FY 2023.

'The most imminent threat to our national security is President Biden's self-inflicted border crisis.'

The federal government's fiscal year runs from October through September. Biden took office in the midst of fiscal year 2021.

"Gotaways occur when cameras or sensors detect migrants crossing the border, but no one is found, or no agents are available to respond," a Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General report noted last year. "Gotaways are observational estimates and rely on agents identifying migrants as crossing illegally and tracking them to the point where they cannot be apprehended; however, an unknown number of migrants evade detection. Therefore, the actual number of 'gotaway' migrants is unknown."

In response to Melugin's tweet, GOP Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida said in a post on X, "Numbers don't lie. Gotaways have exploded under Biden. We don't know who is coming into our country, where they are, or their intentions. We need to pass H.R.2, the Secure the Border Act, which has been sitting on Schumer's desk for OVER a year now."

"The most imminent threat to our national security is President Biden's self-inflicted border crisis. Not only has he created this unmitigated disaster, but he's actively obstructing states from doing what he refuses to do – secure our border," Republican Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas declared in a tweet. "No responsible and self-respecting President would allow such brazen disrespect for our laws and our sovereignty. Our country cannot survive another 4 years of this administration, and the only way to change course is for the American people to change our leadership."

— (@)

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Report of 919 gotaways in one day highlights ongoing border security crisis



Fox News Channel reported that according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection source, there were 919 gotaways on March 31.

"NEW: 919 known gotaways recorded at the border yesterday, per CBP source. 7 day average of known gotaways: 761 per day. Reminder: Gotaways are not recorded in the official public border numbers reported each month. CBP tracks internally after seeing/detecting them," Fox News Channel's Bill Melugin tweeted.

Last month, during an interview with CBS News' Camilo Montoya-Galvez, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens expressed a deep concern about those who slip through the cracks. "That is a national security threat. Border security is a big piece of national security," Owens said.

Responding to Melugin's post, GOP Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona tweeted, "Biden’s premeditated border crisis is a national security disaster. He knows he could reverse course but refuses."

"Border security is national security," GOP Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas said in a tweet. "919 known gotaways in one day = 919 illegal aliens evading screening for terrorism or criminal records in one day. Each day President Biden doesn't take action to secure the border is another day of potential threats to our country."

— (@)

GOP Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas said in a tweet, "919 known gotaways in one day — none of whom have been screened for criminal conduct or terrorism. And there's no telling how many more went completely undetected. Americans face new and growing threats each day that President Biden refuses to secure our border."

"Make no mistake. The Biden administration's inaction to address the national security crisis at our border will have devastating consequences for years, if not decades, to come," GOP Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia tweeted.

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Fox News reporter puts MSNBC hosts in their place for mocking voters worried about border crisis: 'Laugh ... at your own risk'



Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin schooled three MSNBC hosts on Wednesday for mocking voters who are concerned about immigration and the border crisis.

Exit polls conducted on Super Tuesday showed that immigration is the top concern for Republican voters in Virginia. In fact, it is a top issue for voters nationwide, even surpassing the economy in some exit polls. This is not breaking news unless you live under a rock because the border crisis has been a national story for years. But that didn't stop MSNBC hosts Jen Psaki, Rachel Maddow, and Joy Reid from ridiculing these voters over their concerns.

During MSNBC's election-night coverage, Psaki read the exit poll data, Reid laughed, and Maddow outright mocked the voters.

"If you look at some of these exit polls — I mean, I live in Virginia — immigration was the number one issue," Psaki said to Reid's laughter.

"Well, Virginia does have a border with West Virginia. Very contested area," Maddow mocked.

"But you're thinking like: WHAT?!" Psaki added.


— (@)

At first, Melugin responded to the trio of MSNBC hosts by pointing to the recent arrest of an illegal immigrant who is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Virginia.

"Two weeks ago, in Virginia, an illegal alien from Venezuela was arrested & charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Campbell County, VA. He had crossed illegally into El Paso, TX, in September 2023 and was released into the U.S. by the federal government," he wrote on social media.

Then Melugin explained on "Fox and Friends" why the MSNBC hosts' reaction demonstrates how out of touch they are with normal Americans.

"Talk about out of touch— listening to them giggle and laugh and joke," Melugin said.

"We've been down there the last three years, and we've watched as this issue has taken over the entire country. It's no longer just Arizona, California, Texas, New Mexico — look what's happened to the sanctuary cities," he explained. "Look what's happened ever since Gov. [Greg] Abbott started busing [migrants] around the country. Ask Laken Riley's parents if the border and immigration is something to giggle about. It just shows a massive, massive out-of-touch moment."

After noting that exit polls prove immigration is a top issue, Melugin issued a warning to the naysayers.

"Laugh at it at your own risk. The voters will have their say in November," he said.

MSNBC's @jrpsaki @Maddow laugh at and mock Virginia voters for caring about border crisis, where just a few weeks ago an illegal alien released by Biden administration was arrested for raping a 14-year-old girl. @BillMelugin_ @kilmeade @SteveDoocy @ainsleyearhardt react: pic.twitter.com/YdrLhIFIVG
— johnny dollar (@johnnydollar01) March 6, 2024

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Biden tries to blame Trump, GOP for border crisis — but Fox News reporter pulls out the facts to rain on his parade



President Joe Biden tried on Tuesday to blame Donald Trump and the Republican Party for the border crisis — but the attempt quickly failed.

For years, the Biden administration denied there is a crisis at the border and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has repeatedly claimed the border is "secure." The White House has stood on these claims despite overseeing record-setting illegal immigration.

But Biden is now trying to blame Trump and the GOP for the crisis that unfolded under his watch.

In a speech about the so-called border bill — which gives three times as much taxpayer money to Ukraine than to the border crisis — Biden asserted that if the bill fails to become law, Trump and Republicans are responsible for the chaos at the border.

Biden said:

If the bill fails, I want to be absolutely clear about something: The American people are going to know why it failed. I will be taking this issue to the country. And the voters are going to know... Trump and the MAGA Republicans said 'no' because they're afraid of Donald Trump, afraid of Donald Trump.

Every day between now and November, the American people are going to know that the only reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican friends.

President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act www.youtube.com

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, who has covered the border crisis for years, quickly fact-checked Biden's "obviously false statement," listing actions Biden took that directly exacerbated the migrant crisis.

"Biden ended the national emergency declaration at the border," Melugin explained, "ended wall construction, ended remain in MX & safe third agreements, announced he wouldn’t deport anyone in his first 100 days, changed ICE priorities on who they can remove, said during campaign we should 'surge the border with asylum seekers — they should come!'"

"His DHS Secretary has taken the position that just being in the U.S. illegally is not grounds for removal," he continued. "Mass catch and release on a scale the country has never seen, [m]iniscule amounts of deportations, not following current Title 8 laws on the books. Little to no consequences for illegally crossing."

— (@)

But if recent polls are to be believed, there is no chance that voters — who have witnessed three years of Biden's mismanagement of the border — will believe Biden's new narrative.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) confirmed on Tuesday the bill's quick and decisive death.

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Fox News reporter shows how a House Democrat beclowns himself by trying to blame the border crisis on Republicans



Rep. Ted Lieu beclowned himself on Wednesday for trying to blame Republicans for the border crisis.

The California Democrat reposted to social media old headlines from the New York Times and USA Today about border issues that happened in 2019 under then-President Donald Trump's watch.

"Headlines about the border — Border at 'Breaking Point' More Than 76,000 Unauthorized Migrants Cross in a Month — New migrant caravan of 2,500 sets out for U.S." Lieu wrote, adding, "DATE? 2019[.] Did MAGA Republicans blame Trump? NO. Because Republicans aren’t interested in real solutions."

— (@)

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, who covers the border crisis, quickly pointed out the problem with Lieu's suggestion: if those numbers are problematic, just wait until you see what has happened under President Joe Biden's watch!

"This isn't the mic drop the congressman thinks it is," Melugin said.

"If 76,000 in one month was a 'breaking point' as described by NYT in 2019, I can’t wait to see what they write about the December we’re in now, as we are currently on pace to hit 300,000 in one month. We had 269k in Sept," he explained.

— (@)

Those numbers, in fact, are not anomalies.

According to Customs and Border Protection data, there have been on average roughly 200,000 migrant encounters at the southern border each month under Biden. That figure does not include "gotaways," the migrants who evaded capture.

In response to critics, Lieu suggested Republicans are not taking the issue seriously.

"If Republicans think this is such a crisis why did House Republicans recess and send us all home for more than three weeks?" he said.

But that is misleading. Republicans in the House and Senate would love to solve the border crisis. The problem, however, is that Democrats are reluctant to agree to any substantive changes to immigration policy. The House, therefore, recessed for the Christmas holiday because the partisan stalemate had zero chance of resolving itself before Christmas.

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'This is so bad': Fox News reporter corrects the record after mainstream media outlet calls the open border a 'myth'



Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin rebuked a mainstream media outlet on Tuesday for claiming that it is a "myth" to say the southern border is "open."

What is the background?

On Tuesday, Axios reporter Russell Contreras published a story purportedly debunking the "myth" of a U.S.-Mexico "open border." Contreras claimed conservatives invented the phrase to sink immigration reform in the Obama administration and now use it to pin "false claims" on Democrats.

To back his claim, Contreras asserted that "the southern border is more fortified than it's ever been," citing the number of active Border Patrol agents, the barriers along the border, the fact that immigration authorities detain migrants entering the U.S., that border entry lines are long, and that the Biden administration is building a small stretch of new border wall.

Contreras, moreover, only quoted one person in his story — an immigration expert from the Cato Institute who agreed with his thesis.

What did Melugin say?

The intrepid Fox News reporter, who has extensively covered the border crisis, quickly rebuked Contreras.

"This is so bad," Melugin said of the Axios story.

"You can tell whoever wrote this hasn’t spent much time at the border or hasn’t bothered talking to the agents tasked with patrolling it," he explained. "Ask the 1.6 million + known gotaways how difficult it was to get in w/ chunks of the border unpatrolled while agents process."

Even worse, Melugin highlighted the journalism blunder contained within the Axios story: Contreras apparently did not interview a single person with firsthand knowledge of the border crisis.

"@RussContreras how do you write this ridiculous article without even speaking to anyone from Border Patrol, CBP, or DHS?" Melugin asked. "Your only quote is from the Cato Institute, & you don’t even acknowledge Congressional testimony from Border Patrol leadership that the border is not secure."

— (@)

Under President Joe Biden's watch, nearly 6 million migrants have entered the U.S., according to data from Customs and Border Protection. There have also been an estimated 1.6 million "gotaways," or migrants who evaded authorities.

Those numbers square with the dictionary definition of "open," which means "not closed." The Axios-declared "myth," it turns out, is itself a myth.

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KJP melts down when Peter Doocy asks basic question about border crisis



White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre got upset on Thursday that Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy didn't accept her grandstanding.

As the border crisis rages on, government sources told reporters that more than 10,000 migrants crossed the border on Wednesday after more than 9,000 illegally entered the U.S. on Monday and Tuesday. The surge is overwhelming border towns. Doocy used those numbers as the basis for his question.

"What do you call it here at the White House when 10,000 people illegally cross the border in a single day?" Doocy asked Jean-Pierre.

But instead of answering, the press secretary immediately tried to play politics — a game for which Doocy had zero patience.

"So, what do you call it, Peter, when GOP puts forth a —" she answered.

"Karine, you're answering a question with a question," Doocy interjected.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, you can't —" Jean-Pierre protested. "OK, we're going to move on."

As the two continued to talk over one another, a visibly frustrated Jean-Pierre claimed she "tried to answer" Doocy's question but said Doocy "stopped" her from speaking. She then moved onto other reporters and never answered Doocy's question.

09/21/23: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Jake Sullivan www.youtube.com

Not long after Jean-Pierre's frustrations with Doocy boiled over, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin explained why Doocy's query was "an important question."

"Just three weeks ago in late August, Karine Jean-Pierre was up there at that White House podium saying that they were 'stopping the flow' here at our southern border," Melugin said. "I mean, I'll let our viewers decide — but does this look like 'stopping the flow'?"

Immigration authorities are acknowledging the surge, according to Melugin, but they are also ignoring the root cause of the problem.

"They attributed that surge to economic fallout from COVID, to climate change, and to authoritarian regimes," Melugin explained. "Guys, in the more than two years I’ve been doing this, the amount of migrants that have told me climate change is a reason they are coming here would be zero. Zero."

The White House blames Republicans for the border crisis because President Joe Biden failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform at the beginning of his presidency. It's a convenient talking point for the Biden administration, no doubt.

But as Doocy later told Fox News host Sean Hannity, the Biden administration has not made another attempt at passing the bill.

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Gov't plans enforcement operation against migrants, but there's a glaring problem



Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin exposed the inherent problem in a new migrant enforcement operation enacted before the end of Title 42.

What is the operation?

On Monday, Customs and Border Protection announced an enforcement operation — which would begin on Tuesday — targeting migrants in El Paso.

Beginning May 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers – along with law enforcement partners from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – will conduct a targeted enforcement operation in El Paso, Texas. Immigration enforcement agents will process individuals for vetting and placement into Title 42 expulsion or Title 8 removal proceedings, as applicable.

El Paso has been overwhelmed with new waves of migrants traveling to the U.S. ahead of the expiration of Title 42.

But what is the problem?

Melugin, who has covered the border crisis extensively, pointed out the problem with the government's announcement: it gives migrants a "heads up." The press release, then, essentially renders the enforcement operation "worthless."

"From a strategic standpoint, it is puzzling that DHS would announce this publicly via a press release which essentially gives these evaders/gotaways a heads up that they are coming," Melugin said.

"Already hearing from frustrated Border Patrol agents saying the operation will now be worthless," he added.

\u201cFrom a strategic standpoint, it is puzzling that DHS would announce this publicly via a press release which essentially gives these evaders/gotaways a heads up that they are coming. Already hearing from frustrated Border Patrol agents saying the operation will now be worthless.\u201d
— Bill Melugin (@Bill Melugin) 1683604386

The National Border Patrol Council, a border patrol union, had the same reaction.

"Nothing like publicly announcing that dangerous people will be arrested, while warning them ahead of time exactly where to run and hide to avoid arrest," the union said. "This entire operation is a sad joke — another pandering PR stunt. Serious law enforcement leaders don’t behave this way."

With Title 42 ending on Thursday, migrants are flooding the U.S. because they know it will become more difficult to expel them quickly. Immigration authorities apprehended more than 10,000 migrants on Monday and Tuesday each, breaking previous single-day records, according to Melugin.

And it's only expected to get worse.

According to Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas), Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has reported that a caravan of 80,000 Venezuelan migrants is currently traveling north to the U.S. Giammattei allegedly tried to contact the White House about the caravan, but no one answered.

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