Migrant Surge Overwhelms Border Patrol and Congress as December Numbers Exceed 200K

Migrant encounters at the southern border have surpassed 200,000 in December, with over a week remaining in the month. This surge comes after a year of multiple records being broken for daily and monthly encounters, with over 2.4 million encounters in the fiscal year. Border Patrol agents are reportedly outmanned at a ratio of approximately 200:1 with migrants. The Biden administration is facing criticism for its policies and rollback of Trump-era border measures, while Republicans are calling for stricter asylum limits and increased border security. Negotiations for additional funding and immigration reform legislation are ongoing, but a deal is unlikely to be reached before January.