“They (Mexico) are doing the dirty work of the U.S. in order to keep people from accessing the U.S.” – Amnesty International.

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Mexico is stopping nearly three times as many migrants who have crossed its southern border as it was a year ago, a trend that U.S. officials say has helped blunt the surge in crossings of the U.S. border usually seen at this time of year.

Biden administration officials also point to the increased help from Mexico in slowing migration as proof that their relationship with their southern neighbors is more effective than the Trump administration’s.

Former President Donald Trump has derided President Joe Biden’s record and claimed that his administration was more successful at controlling the border.

Early last year, Mexico interdicted roughly 100,000 migrants at its southern border or inside Mexico per month, while the U.S. was apprehending over 193,000 migrants monthly at the U.S.-Mexico border. This year, more migrants are being stopped inside Mexico than in the U.S., with over 280,000 being interdicted in Mexico and 189,000 in the U.S. in March, according to figures obtained by NBC News.

The Mexican government doesn’t publicly share its migrant interdiction numbers like the U.S. does.

The high numbers of migrants stopped in Mexico show how chaotic the U.S. border could become if Mexico cannot sustain its interdiction efforts. Another spike in border crossings could hurt Biden in the coming election.

According to Customs and Border Protection officials, April’s figures, which have yet to be publicly released, are expected to continue to show relatively low numbers compared to the seasonal uptick typically seen in April and May.It isn’t known how many of the migrants Mexico intercepts are actually deported. Many migrants are stopped by Mexican officials at the Guatemala-Mexico border and promptly returned to Guatemala, immigration advocates told NBC News.

Many others are being stopped in northern Mexico and bused to the southern end of the country. From there, they can’t use the CBP One app on their mobile phones to make appointments for U.S. asylum hearings, since the app doesn’t work south of Mexico City, said Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA.

“In one way, they are doing the dirty work of the U.S. in order to keep people from accessing the U.S. southern border and exercising their right to seek safety,” Fischer said.