Over 1,000 illegal aliens were apprehended by federal agents on May 29, the largest group ever detained at a single time, according to reports.
Law enforcement sources told the openly conservative Fox News that the group of 1,036 illegal aliens were discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the El Paso sector and included immigrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Two U.S. officials also informed the NBC outlet about the apprehension.
The agency had not issued a press release on the large group as of Thursday afternoon.
Agents regularly detain groups of around 100 but none have ever approached 1,000.
One month ago, on April 30, officials said they’d intercepted the largest group of illegal aliens ever, putting the number at 424. The group was detained in Sunland Park, New Mexico.
The detention of the large group is the latest sign of an ongoing border crisis that has highlighted a divide between President Donald Trump and his opponents as he seeks to erect a wall to stem the flood of illegal migrants while top Democrats have sought toned down measures such as additional staffing.
A record-high of 92,000 illegal aliens were detained in March, leading to overcrowding in Border Patrol facilities.
“I have never witnessed the conditions we are facing on the southwest border. This is not a manufactured crisis,” said Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley sector, at a Senate hearing on April 9. “On average, we apprehend 1,000 illegal border crossers per day—roughly the capacity of 17 commercial buses.”
Stash houses and fake families are among the litany of issues Border Patrol agents are dealing with.
Trump on Thursday indicated he’d be taking fresh action soon, telling reporters: “We are going to do something very dramatic on the border.”
“I would say my biggest statement yet” would be made, he added. The statement would be issued either later Thursday or sometime Friday, the president said.
“I’m not closing the borders, I’m doing something else,” he said, adding that the statement “will have to do with people crossing the border illegally.”
He said he was being forced to take action because “the Democrats will not give us laws” and “will not do anything.”
“They want to have open borders” with crime and drugs pouring in, he added, along with human trafficking.
