In fiscal year 2018, which ended in September, about 38,000 migrants filed asylum requests at U.S. ports of entry along the southern border, while the figure was about 17,000 in fiscal year 2017. Meanwhile, people who attempted to cross borders into the United States illegally before seeking asylum amounted to about 55,000 in fiscal year 2018. According to CBP, the shift in numbers indicated that thousands more migrants are trying to enter the United States by requesting asylum, and that his agency is unable to handle the increasing amount. It also added that the CBP was forced to let migrants queue and wait on the Mexican side of the border for days and weeks.
