"So far this fiscal year, we've seen a 90% increase over those record levels in fiscal year '18 and fully 60% of inadmissible persons at our Southwest border ports of entry are making claims of fear of return to their home country," announced Border Patrol commissioner Kevin McAleenan at a press conference on March 5. "Taken together," he added, "these numbers are remarkable: 76,000 total apprehensions and inadmissible arrivals in a 4-week month in February. That's the highest number of encounters in any February in the last 12 years."