Migrant deaths and rescues at the U.S.-Mexico border have reached another high as the Biden administration claims that the area is “secure,” according to internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

There were 18,881 illegal alien rescues and 650 illegal alien deaths between October 2021 and July, according to the data the DCNF obtained from an anonymous Department of Homeland Security source who was not authorized to speak officially on the matter.

The numbers follow DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ July claim that “the border is secure.” The numbers of rescues and deaths had already reached highs when Mayorkas made the statement, with 12,863 Border Patrol rescues during the same time period in 2021, 5,336 during the time period in fiscal year 2020 and 4,921 rescues in fiscal year 2019, according to the internal data.

“With the gigantic increase in illegal border crossers it should be no surprise that the number of deaths and rescues have also increased exponentially,” National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told the DCNF.

In a typical year there are usually around 30,000 to 40,000 apprehensions each month and around 3,000 to 4,000 got aways, or illegal aliens evading apprehension, but today nothing compares to that, according to Judd.

“Today we’re seeing complete chaos. We’re apprehending around 200k per month with approximately 50k got-aways, and at any given time close to 60% of our rank-and-file resources are performing administrative duties rather than patrolling the border keeping not only US citizens safe but illegal border crossers as well,” Judd explained.

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Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez’s office has responded to 18 deaths since January, many of them from heat exhaustion and drownings in the Rio Grande river, Martinez told the DCNF.

“Those are the ones they’ve found. I think you could probably double that,” Martinez said.

Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland’s office has responded to nine illegal alien deaths in the desert in the last two months, compared to the one death per year before Biden took office, Cleveland told the DCNF.

“President Biden’s lack of a border security strategy has encouraged people from all over the world to attempt to cross our border with Mexico illegally. Some attempt to enter between the ports of entry and abscond undetected. Others turn themselves in and claim refugee status or political asylum and are released into with a notice to appear to an immigration court in the future,” Cleveland said.

“The vast majority will never show up. Because of this, and the lack of a strategy, we are seeing levels of activity that we haven’t seen. The Border Patrol is doing all they can and are doing a heck of a job, they are just outnumbered and unsupported by this administration. I loved it until April 30th,” he added.

Neither CBP nor DHS responded to the DCNF’s requests for comment.