Thousands of ‘special interest aliens’ illegally entered US via San Diego since October, CBP data shows

Thousands of “special interest aliens” have illegally crossed into the United States via San Diego, California since October, according to internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data obtained by Fox News. 

CBP data reveals that nearly 140,000 illegal immigrants in total have crossed into the San Diego sector since Fiscal Year 2024 began on October 1st.

Volunteers setup provisions for distribution to migrants in front of a 30-foot wall, seen beside an older 18-foot wall, on October 10, 2023, in San Diego, California. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Among the 140,000 illegal immigrants encountered have been thousands of “special interest aliens,” classified as those who come from countries with potential national security concerns. 

Citizens from “special interest countries” are regarded as special interest aliens, who are supposed to receive additional vetting by federal authorities after being apprehended by Border Patrol. 

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Since October, the San Diego sector has encountered 2,500 citizens from the West African country of Mauritania, 2,500 citizens from Uzbekistan, 1,600 citizens from Afghanistan, 850 citizens from Russia, 500 from Tajikistan, 400 from Kyrgyzstan, and 6,100 from Turkey. 

Border Patrol at the San Diego sector has also encountered illegal immigrants from Vietnam, Georgia, Senegal, Cameroon, Nepal, Romania, Ethiopia, Columbia, China, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Guinea, India, Guatemala, and Peru. 

Overall, there have been more than 961,000 migrant encounters this fiscal year after a record-setting 2.4 million in fiscal 2023. December saw a record 301,000 encounters, followed by a sharp drop to 176,000 in January.

Asylum seekers cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States on September 30, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)

The data comes amid reports that President Biden is considering using provisions of federal immigration law repeatedly tapped by former President Trump to unilaterally enact a sweeping crackdown at the southern border, according to three people familiar with the deliberations.

The news comes after the collapse of a bipartisan bill earlier this month that would have paired border security spending with aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. 

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The exploration of such avenues by Biden’s team underscores the pressure the president faces this election year on immigration and the border, which have been among his biggest political liabilities since he took office. 

Fox News’ Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.