Elon Musk has waded into the illegal migration debate, saying the surge is "already overwhelming essential services".
The billionaire was reacting to figures posted by X, user @fentasyl, who posted figures, claiming that since August, there are officially more arriving each month than there are children being born to American mothers.
Musk, who bought Twitter in April 2022, replied saying: "Almost no one seems to be aware of the immense size and lightning growth of this issue.
"According to the mayors, it is already overwhelming essential services in New York, Chicago and other cities."
Elon Musk shares alarm at 'lightning growth' of illegal migrant surge: 'Overwhelming essential services!'
PAIt comes as the US announced it will reopen four legal US-Mexico border crossings on Thursday despite a senior US official saying yesterday that high levels of illegal immigration have receded and freed up personnel.
The US will reopen an international bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, two crossings in Arizona and another near San Diego, California.
Border authorities struggled in December to process migrants as apprehensions reached nearly 11,000 in a single day, which several current and former officials said was near or at a record high.
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Migrants wait in a processing center in Eagle Pass, Texas
Reuters
It is not the first time that Musk has waded into immigration debates.
During a visit to the Texas border with Mexico to meet with local politicians and law enforcement in September, the billionaire urged a two-pronged approach to overhauling US immigration laws.
He called for an "expedited legal approval" as part of a "greatly expanded legal immigration system" that welcomes "hard-working and honest" migrants, while also barring entry for those who are "breaking the law."
"We want to do both things - smooth out legal immigration and stop a flow of people that is of such magnitude that we’re leading to a collapse of social services."
Musk has previously called himself "extremely pro-immigrant."
Reuters
A native of South Africa, Musk noted his own status as an "immigrant to the United States".
He has previously called himself "extremely pro-immigrant."
In September, he was criticised by the German Foreign Office for comments he shared on X about German humanitarian groups saving lives in the Mediterranean Sea.
Musk quoted a thread showing migrants and aid workers on rescue boats adding the question: "Is the German public aware of this?" to which the German Federal Foreign Office replied to Musk, saying: "Yes. And it's called saving lives."