“Migrant Invasion in US Amounts to Wyoming Population,” Lauren Boebert Calls Surge of Illegal Migrants an ‘Invasion’ with Wyoming-Sized Numbers

William FurneyOct 14, 2023

Minute Read

An American congresswoman has sparked controversy after comparing an influx of illegal migrants crossing the US-Mexico border to an “invasion” and saying their numbers were so large that they mirrored the state of Wyoming’s population.

Wyoming Population Figure

The Cowboy State, in the Western US, has a population of just over half a million — more than 581,000 people, according to the most recent estimates from the United States Census Bureau, from July 2022.

‘Illegal Migrants’ Claim

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert claimed that more than half a million illegal migrants had entered the US in just two months.

“In the past two months, we’ve received just about as many illegals into our country as Wyoming has people. This is an invasion and can be spoken of in no other terms than that,” she said on X, formerly called Twitter.

Migrant ‘Encounters Not Crossings’

The 36-year-old congresswoman’s claims about illegal migrant crossings into the US may be untrue, however, as figures from US Customs and Border Protection show that many of the crossings from Mexico into the US were in fact “encounters.”

These are people attempting to cross the border but are stopped by US border officers and sent back.

‘Record High Encounters’

The number of people trying to cross the US-Mexico border and not succeeding, because they were prevented by officers, is at a two-decade high, according to data from the Pew Research Center based on government statistics.

Surge in Attempted Crossings

More than 200,000 migrants attempted to illegally cross the US-Mexico border in September, the highest monthly figure so far this year, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

Vigilance at US-Mexico Border

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said: “We remain vigilant and expect to see fluctuations, knowing that smugglers continue to use misinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals. We are safely and efficiently vetting and processing migrants to place them in immigration enforcement proceedings consistent with our laws and operational planning efforts.”

Boebert Death Allegations

Editorial credit: Oscar Ivan Lopez / Shutterstock.

Representative Boebert has put immigration at the forefront of her agenda and in May accused President Joe Biden of creating a “deadly crisis” at the US-Mexico border.

The president and his immigration policies weren’t “just causing a crisis at the border” but “causing death,” she said on X following the death of a migrant child in US custody.

Biden Impeachment Bid

In June, Boebart attempted to launch impeachment proceedings against President Biden, accusing him of dereliction of duty and abuse of power over his immigration policies.

“I am bringing my articles of impeachment against Joe Biden to the House Floor in a privileged motion, meaning that every Member of Congress must vote on holding Joe Biden accountable,” she said on X, in what would become a failed bid to oust the president.

‘Not Illegal Migrants’

Not everyone was impressed with Boebert’s assertion that illegal migrants flooding into the US in two months amounted to the population of Wyoming.

“Wyoming is the least populated state in the United States. They are not illegals. You are what is illegal. A rap sheet a mile long,” said a person named Peggy Gabour on X.

‘Right to Asylum’

Another person, Gary, said: “There [are] about 350 million people in the US. In 2022, 25,465 refugees arrived in the US. That’s 0.00714285714% of the US population — an extremely low percentage. The right to seek asylum was incorporated into international law following the atrocities of World War II.”

‘First Country Status’

Yet another chimed in: “Law says they have to seek asylum in (the) first country they cross. They can’t go halfway across the world and then cross illegally to ask for asylum.”

Biden Citizenship Plan

Editorial credit: YASAMIN JAFARI TEHRANI / Shutterstock.

President Biden intends to give citizenship to around 11 million undocumented migrants in the US, in a bill currently before Congress and one of his cornerstone agendas. His administration has been working to lift immigration restrictions imposed by the previous president, Donald Trump, who, among other limiting measures, banned people from several Middle Eastern countries.

Post-Pandemic Boost

Restrictions imposed during the covid-19 pandemic that saw fewer US visas being issued to immigrants have also been lifted by the Biden administration.

Welcoming More Migrants

Overall, President Biden aims to allow more migrants to enter the United States, although he has recently authorized an extension of Trump’s infamous wall along the US-Mexican border designed to keep illegal migrants out of the United States. President Biden said funding was allocated for additional sections of the massive structure during Trump’s presidency.