By Stef W. Knight @ Axios.com, Dec. 14

70,000 migrants were caught crossing the Southwest border of the U.S. last month — a 64% increase compared to last November that came in spite of the pandemic and strict immigration enforcement policies, border officials told reporters Monday.

Driving the news: Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan — a Trump appointee with hardline immigration views — sought to blame the increase in the waning days of the administration on the courts and President-elect Joe Biden's stated immigration platform.

By the numbers: In addition to the overall surge, there have also been more migrants and minors from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, countries that have suffered from recent hurricanes. 

• The number of unaccompanied children encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border rose from 712 in April to roughly 4,700 in October and 4,500 in November, Morgan said.

Between the lines: Unlike past surges, smugglers have been trying to sneak minors further into the U.S. through remote areas, notes Axios' Russell Contreras.

• Because the 2019 crisis was fueled by large numbers of migrant families and children from the Northern Triangle — El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — border officials pay close attention to those trends.

What they're saying: Morgan blamed rising numbers on court rulings [....]