The crisis at the border continues. The numbers have increased in unbelievable proportions. Texas National Guard works on the border wall alongside federal troops. Federal court rules rapid deportment can continue because of Covid. We have assembled some of the top stories here . . .

The Washington Times reports on the numbers:

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“What a difference a year makes on the border.

In August 2020, the Trump administration managed something stunning. Border Patrol agents caught more than 47,000 illegal immigrants and immediately released just 10 of them into the interior.

This August, under President Biden, the Border Patrol made more than 195,000 arrests and released 43,941 people — an increase of more than 430,000%. . .

The Washington Times compared two months under President Trump — one pre-pandemic and the other in the middle of things — to a month under Mr. Biden, August, for which the most recent data is available, to see what happened to those caught jumping the border.

What stood out most was what border experts call the consequence delivery system. When people were detained or ousted, relatively few were coming to the U.S. When people were caught and released, more made an attempt.

• In January 2020, before the onset of the pandemic, Border Patrol agents made 29,204 arrests. Of those, 86% were returned, put into speedy deportation or subjected to one of the Trump team’s administrative fixes to block bogus asylum claims, such as the “Remain in Mexico” policy or the cooperative agreements struck with Central American nations.

About 12% were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with a “Notice to Appear” for an eventual immigration court date. Just 75 migrants, less than 0.5%, were caught and released at the border.

• In August 2020, during the pandemic, agents made 47,282 arrests. Of those, more than 90% were immediately expelled under what is known as Title 42, an emergency health order shutting the border to unauthorized migration.

Another 6.6% of those arrested were put into a speedy deportation or removal process. Just 10 people, effectively a rate of 0%, were caught and released at the border.

• In August 2021, under Mr. Biden, agents made 195,558 apprehensions — more than 2½ times the number of the other two months combined.

About 47% were expelled under Title 42 powers, and about 7% were put into the speedy deportation process.

Still, 23% were caught and released at the border and 15% more were caught, turned over to ICE and given notices of court dates.

Most of those were held about 25 days then released, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

The Biden administration insists the issue isn’t what’s happening in the U.S. but rather what’s happening elsewhere. The problem and the solution lie in the “push” factors, helping build up living conditions in other countries to discourage people from leaving, the White House says.

Mr. Morgan and others who studied immigration patterns in the Trump years say the border situation deteriorated this year not because of “push” factors. COVID-19 was prevalent last year, and crime hasn’t worsened in the key sending places of Mexico and Central America.

Instead, they point to “pull” factors. The Biden administration dismantled the Trump team’s rigid framework to derail bogus asylum claims.”

The New York Post reported on an important decision about emergency powers to deport:

“A federal appeals court in Washington ruled Thursday that the Biden administration can continue to use a Trump-era public health authority to rapidly deport migrant families apprehended at the US-Mexico border.

The ruling puts a hold on a judge’s order that the White House no longer use the COVID-19 pandemic to justify quick expulsions of families under the public health authority, known as Title 42.

US District Judge Emmet Sullivan wrote in his Sept. 16 ruling that “in view of the wide availability of testing, vaccines, and other minimization measures, the Court is not convinced that the transmission of COVID-19 during border processing cannot be significantly mitigated.””

Finally, Stars and Stripes reported about the troops that are working at the southwest border:

Texas National Guard will more than double its troop levels at the state’s border with Mexico to about 2,500 service members during the next month to conduct security and build a border barrier under the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott.

Just in the last week, National Guard troops arrested more than 2,000 people crossing the border illegally, Lt. Col. Rodney Kelley, director of training and operations for the Texas Military Department, said Thursday during a news conference. They saw another 200 people turn back into Mexico without crossing, he said.

Guard engineers have already built about three miles of border barrier and the surge of troops will allow teams to work in multiple areas while also surveying future construction sites, Kelley said. Two engineer teams are already working along the border, with two more expected to arrive this week.

He described the barrier as a 10-foot chain link fence with additional equipment at the top to help secure it.

A dozen teams will work on border barriers within the next month in partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety, known as DPS. This increase could allow the Guard to build up to half a mile of fencing a day, Kelley said. . . .

These state-activated troops are in addition to the 3,500 troops deployed on a federal mission along the entire U.S. border with Mexico in support of the Department of Homeland Security, according to Joint Task Force North, the military headquarters that oversees the mission. The Defense Department authorized troops to serve on the federal mission through September 2022.

Those troops were initially deployed under former President Donald Trump and remain deployed under President Joe Biden, even after Biden rescinded Trump’s national emergency declaration at the southwest border.

(Picture Credit: Getty Images.)

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