The administration of US President Donald Trump has detained record number of migrants traveling in families at the US border with Mexico in October, taking into custody over 20,000 citizens of Central American countries on their way to enter the US, new official data shows.
US Border Patrol arrested a total of 23,121 people last month, The New York Times reported, citing the latest figures by the US Customs and Border Protection agency..
In comparison, nearly 16,658 people in families were apprehended at the US-Mexico border throughout September, prompting the White House to warn that the increase in migrant inflow could cause an unprecedented crisis and threaten national security.
The overall number of migrants apprehended at border hit 50,975, a record high.
The increase was reported hours after the Trump administration unveiled new measures that made it more difficult for immigrants to seek asylum in the US.
In a proclamation issued…