Border arrests surge, erasing much of Trump’s early gains

The U.S. government posted a seventh straight monthly increase in people being arrested or denied entry along the Mexican border, erasing much of the early gains of President Donald Trump’s push to strengthen border security.

Customs and Border Protection said Friday that denials of entry at official crossings and border arrests reached more than 39,000 in November.

That’s more than double the nearly 16,000 registered in April.

Trump had touted the dramatic drop in arrests in the early months of his presidency as evidence that his administration was making the border more secure.

Administration officials said last week that they were concerned about an increase in families and unaccompanied children showing up at the U.S. border with Mexico.