Arrests at the southern United States border hit a record high in August, according to early United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data found by the Washington Post.

The increase in arrests breaks the decreasing trend seen in recent months due to actions by the Biden government to limit how many [.fow1-1]migrants[.fow1-1] can apply for [.fow1-2]asylum[.fow1-2]. In August, CBP made a total of 177,000 arrests along the U.S.-Mexico border, a large increase from the 132,652 reported in July and a nearly 80 percent increase from the 99,539 arrested in June.

Despite the U.S. government’s attempts to prevent families with children from crossing the border illegally, this was the largest group to cross in August, with at least 91,000 [.fow1-1]migrants[.fow1-1] crossing as part of a family group. This is the first time there have been more [.fow1-1]migrant[.fow1-1] families than individual adults since Biden took office, and is larger than the previous monthly record of 84,486, set in 2019 under former president Donald Trump.

In an attempt to be different from Trump’s mostly disliked immigration rules, the Biden government said in 2021 that it does not arrest or send back pregnant women, newborn babies, or family members that had been separated. While President Biden promised to make [.fow2-1]humane[.fow2-1] immigration decisions when he entered the White House, he has recently increased [.fow2-2]deportations[.fow2-2], sending back more than 17,000 parents and children who crossed as a family group in August.

Family groups are a particular challenge for U.S. immigration police, as most [.fow1-1]migrants[.fow1-1] fitting that description are permitted to wait within the U.S. while they wait for a decision on their [.fow1-2]asylum[.fow1-2] application, which can take years.

The already dangerous journey to the U.S.-Mexico border was made even more serious by the heat, with August reaching the highest temperatures seen in 2023. In the area near Arizona, over 1,000 [.fow1-1]migrants[.fow1-1] suffering from heat-related illnesses were rescued by police.

“Unfortunately, human [bodies] were also found,” CBP said.

Texas CBP officials reported that 2023 has been particularly deadly for [.fow1-1]migrants[.fow1-1], with 134 reported deaths, a 188% increase compared to the previous government year, which ran from October 2021 to September 2022.