The number of apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border dropped another 21% in July to just over 82,000 people, according to new Customs and Border Protection reports, but the situation still remains at a "crisis level," Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, said Friday.
"There are some basic facts that are hard to escape, and you mentioned just while this last month's numbers are an improvement, they are still crisis level," Cuccinelli told Fox News' "Fox & Friends." "Eighty-two thousand people coming across that southern border exceeds any month for years, except for the last four months, so we still have a lot of work to do."
The Trump administration has been asking Congress for months to close asylum loopholes, Cuccinelli said, but Democrats have taken "zero action," and the problem will not be solved until action is taken.
The acting director gave President Donald Trump credit for the drop, saying it happened because he kept his promises on immigration, including dealing with Mexico and getting cooperation that has never happened before.
"They are patrolling their own southern border more vigorously than before," said Cuccinelli, adding a cooperation deal with Guatemala might also help bring the numbers down more.
Meanwhile, Cuccinelli complained about government officials, such as Nashville Mayor David Briley, for telling people living in the United States illegally how to avoid being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
"When we have government officials aiding and abetting people in violating our laws we have fallen to a pretty bad place," Cuccinelli said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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