The Border Patrol encounters much lower in the Rio Grande Valley sector

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) – Border Patrol encounters with migrants in the Rio Grande Valley Sector in May were down 79% from a year earlier, according to data released Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

This is the largest decline in migrant encounters compared to the previous year for any Border Patrol sector on the southwest border.

CBP data shows that last May, the South Texas sector recorded the highest number of migrants on the entire Southwest border – more than 38,000 – who were crossing illegally between U.S. ports of entry in anticipation of the lifting of Title 42 on May 12, 2023 r. Last month, 7,865 meetings were held. This is a 10.7% decrease compared to 8,811 meetings in April.

According to CBP data, encounters in this sector in May were down 57% from 18,216 in December 2023, when the number of migrant crossings across the Southwest border reached an all-time high.

The Tucson sector in western Arizona had the most encounters in May, followed by the San Diego sector.

In the RGV sector, single adult migrants made up the majority of migrants encountered, more than 3,500. But officials also found nearly 2,000 unaccompanied children on the South Texas border, according to CBP.

Overall, encounters at the southwest border in May dropped 9% from April to 117,900 – the third-lowest number since President Joe Biden took office.

“CBP will continue to prioritize national security and disrupt criminal networks while maximizing the consequences of illegal entry, including apprehension, prosecution and removal, as part of recently announced enforcement actions to further secure the border,” said Troy Miller, acting chief of CBP .

CBP officials also said preliminary data for the past two weeks showed that migrant encounters have dropped 25% since the administration announced new asylum restrictions on June 4 that significantly limit how and when migrants can apply for asylum.

President Biden’s executive order requires migrants to inform agents that they fear returning to their home countries or that they will face other burdensome circumstances, and to submit to a credible interview for asylum in the US. Otherwise, they risk expulsion, detention or deportation.

CBP says more than 775,000 people have been displaced from the United States since the repeal of Title 42.

The agency says “migration flows are dynamic and CBP will continue to increase staff and resources to areas that need them.”

Under the new asylum rules, migrants must enter legal U.S. ports of entry and schedule interviews through the CPB One app.

The agency says more than 44,500 people had their asylum claims processed and made appointments on the CBP One app in May.

Up to 1,450 appointments can be made every day across the southwest border, but migrant advocates say it’s like a lottery, with thousands of people competing online for available spots, leaving thousands waiting south of the border and many finding in dangerous conditions.

Andrea Rudnik of Team Brownsville, whose nonprofit helps migrants after they are legally released by the Department of Homeland Security at the Welcome Center in downtown Brownsville, Texas, told Border Report that they are no longer accepting migrants who cross the border without permission or without using the app CBP One for scheduling appointments.

“We are no longer accepting people from Ursula and Donna. So we only recruit candidates for CBP One, as well as people from detention centers,” Rudnik said.

He says migrants were received from CBP’s Central Processing Center in McAllen, which is located on Ursula Avenue and commonly called “Ursula,” and from a sprawling temporary processing facility that CBP built in the town of Donna, Texas, located halfway between McAllen and Brownsville.

Border Report contacted RGV Border Guard officers to ask why the change occurred.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at [email protected].