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Asylum-seeking families and children made up nearly half of July border crossings: “This is young mamas and daddies trying to save their families”

Migrant crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border reached a 21-year high in July. This video takes you to the epicenter: Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, where more crossings are happening than in any other region in the country.

by Lauren Santucci

In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, border crossings have surged in recent months. They reached a 21-year high in July, with 212,672 encounters reported by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

In crowded shelters and on the streets of small border towns, Texas Tribune reporter Lauren Santucci meets migrants seeking asylum and hears from community leaders who are on the front lines of what has become a heated political battle between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration. But the rhetoric doesn’t always match the reality on the ground.

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Information about the authors

Lauren Santucci’s staff photo

Lauren Santucci

Multimedia Fellow