In January, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested 29,000 migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, marking the lowest number of arrests since May 2020. This figure is down from 47,000 arrests in December, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
President Donald Trump, who took office on January 20, issued several executive orders to crack down on illegal immigration. These included deploying military troops to assist with border security, blocking migrants from claiming asylum, and increasing deportations of migrants already in the U.S.
Former President Joe Biden faced record numbers of migrants crossing the border, peaking at 250,000 arrests in December 2023. In June 2024, Biden restricted the ability of migrants crossing illegally to claim asylum and collaborated with Mexico and other nations to limit illegal immigration. These measures led to a dramatic drop in arrests. Additionally, Biden introduced new legal entry programs aimed at discouraging illegal crossings.
Pete Flores, acting CBP commissioner, stated that fewer crossings allow “more officers and agents to conduct the enforcement duties that make our border more secure and our country safer.”
The decrease in migrant arrests in January occurred even as Trump ended several of Biden’s legal entry programs. Among these was the CBP One app, which allowed migrants in Mexico to schedule appointments for legal entry. Trump’s abrupt shutdown of the app-based program left many migrants with scheduled appointments stranded in Mexico and uncertain about their next steps.
Source: Reuters
