(CNN) Customs and Border Protection encountered nearly 50,000 migrants at the US-Mexico border in August, acting Commissioner Mark Morgan announced Friday, marking a jump from July when nearly 40,000 migrants were encountered. Morgan dismissed the uptick Friday, saying in a news conference that as a result of a public health law, the administration is able to swiftly remove migrants who are apprehended -- a move that's been challenged in court and criticized by immigrant advocates and lawmakers. "The numbers become less relevant because the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] order gives us the authority and gives us the tools to do exactly what we need to do to protect American people," Morgan said during the news conference in Laredo, Texas. He also noted that there's been an increase in the number of migrants who repeatedly try to enter the US. Morgan tried to cast migrants as a public health threat to the United States, saying that they "continue to disregard the medical experts as well as our laws in an attempt to illegally enter the United States on a daily basis."

Source: CNN September 04, 2020 17:26 UTC