Border Crossings Plunge to Lowest Level Since Pandemic

July saw the lowest number of crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border in four years, a statistic that is sure to be a boon for Democrats on the eve of their convention as immigration continues to be a central issue in the presidential election.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Friday that July saw a 32% drop over the prior month, thanks in part to President Joe Biden’s effective asylum ban signed in June.
There were 56,408 encounters at the southwest border, stretching along California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, last month, the lowest number since the height of the pandemic in September 2020.
“In July, our border security measures enhanced our ability to deliver consequences for illegal entry – leading to the lowest number of encounters along the southwest border in more than three years,” Troy A. Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, said in a press release.
CBP said encounters are now lower than the monthly average for all of 2019, the last comparable year before tough border measures were introduced during the pandemic by the Trump administration.
Much of the reason for the drop in encounters is the executive order signed by President Biden in June, which capped asylum entries and effectively brought them to a halt.
Since June 4, encounters between ports of entry have decreased by 55%, CBP said, with over 92,000 people removed or returned to their home countries.
The number of immigrants being processed for expedited removal, bypassing immigration court proceedings, has tripled since the rule was enacted on June 5.
CBP said it was also working with international partners to manage migration, and Mexico has increased its measures in recent months to try to keep people back from the U.S. border.
“We are working closely with international partners to go after transnational criminal organizations that traffic in chaos and prioritize profit over human lives, and this month announced enhanced enforcement efforts to attack the fentanyl supply chain,” Miller added.
“These efforts are seeing results, as CBP saw the largest fentanyl seizure in our agency’s history just a few weeks ago. We remain vigilant in these efforts alongside our partners.”
The agency said it had seized over 17,900 pounds of fentanyl since the start of the fiscal year in October 2023 and had drastically increased the number of seizures over the past two years.
Part of that effort includes targeting cartel members and leaders, while also seeking to disrupt supply chains on either side of the border.
CBP also highlighted protections given to those from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela under the parole program, with over 520,000 granted protected status since January 2023.
The scheme was paused last month over concerns of fraud, but the Department of Homeland Security said it was working to restart the program as soon as possible.
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