Illegal border crossings reach lowest level since September 2020

Sasabe, Arizona — The number of illegal crossings of the southern US border by migrants has decreased fifth month in a row The decline in July was the lowest since the fall of 2020, according to internal government data obtained by CBS News.

U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended about 56,000 migrants between official ports of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border in July, according to preliminary data from Customs and Border Protection. That’s the lowest number since September 2020, when the agency reported nearly 55,000 apprehensions.

In December, during record growth As migration at the U.S.-Mexico border overwhelmed agents in parts of Texas and Arizona, the Border Patrol recorded 250,000 apprehensions, four times more than in July.

The significant drop in the number of border crossings in July is a continuation of the significant drop inheritance pattern in illegal immigration that began earlier this year. The Border Patrol recorded 84,000 apprehensions of migrants in June; 118,000 in May; 129,000 in April; 137,000 in March; and 141,000 in February, according to government statistics.

These numbers do not include entries at official border crossings, otherwise known as ports of entry, where the Biden administration is processing about 1,500 migrants per day. phone app which assigns appointments to people waiting in Mexico.

Although border crossings have been declining for months, U.S. authorities attribute the sharp drop in illegal border crossings to recent weeks proclamation issued by President Biden in early June, which drastically restricted access to the overburdened U.S. asylum system.

“This is the result of a series of actions taken by this administration,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CBS News this week. Those actions, Mayorkas noted, include “the president’s executive decision to restrict asylum between ports of entry, eliminating smugglers.”

Migration to the U.S. border has fallen so significantly that the average weekly number of illegal border crossings is approaching Threshold 1500 Biden administration aims to deactivate its crackdown on asylum seekers. In December, the Border Patrol recorded about 8,000 illegal border crossings per day.

Other factors also played a role in the drastic drop in border crossings. US requestMexican officials have overseen a sweeping crackdown on migrants in recent months, preventing many from setting foot on U.S. soil. Scorching summer temperatures have also made the migrant journey even more dangerous.

Mayorkas says Biden deserves credit for ‘decisive action’

Mr Biden’s June declaration effectively halted asylum processing between ports of entry, making it easier for US immigration officials to more quickly return migrants to Mexico or their home countries if they enter the country illegally.

The policy change has led to a sharp decline in the number of migrants released to the U.S. to await asylum hearings, federal statistics show. U.S. officials see the releases as a “pull factor” that spurs migration, since migrants who are released are typically allowed to remain in the country for years, even if their asylum claims are ultimately denied, because immigration courts’ ability to process applications in a timely manner has been hamstrung by a backlog of millions of cases.

Under the new rules, U.S. officials no longer have to ask migrants whether they fear harm if deported. And even if migrants express fear of harm, they are directed to initial asylum interviews, which are held to much higher standards. Unaccompanied children and certain vulnerable groups are exempt from asylum crackdowns, which have also had a more limited impact on migrants from countries where the U.S. does not routinely deport.

Mayorkas said the administration took action to unilaterally restrict asylum after border security agreement Initiated by the White House and a small group of senators earlier this year, it failed due to insufficient support from Republicans.

“Despite a bipartisan proposal, Congress failed to act, politics got in the way, and the president took decisive action with his executive order,” he said.

While the administration has acknowledged that Mr Biden’s executive actions have helped reduce the number of illegal immigrants, the decision has drawn criticism from supporters who say it contradicts US asylum law, as well as from GOP lawmakers who say the president took the action solely because of political concerns about immigration ahead of the election.

Mayorkas rejected that criticism, noting that the administration has created several programs to allow migrants to enter the U.S. legally, including an app-based appointment system at the border. and politics which allows Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans to fly to the U.S. if they have American sponsors.

“The asylum system is open, the border is not,” Mayorkas said. “People need to use the legal, safe and orderly pathways that we have developed. This is not just a matter of law enforcement, border enforcement — this is a matter of humanitarian imperative.”

Asylum restrictions will likely continue into next year, regardless of who wins the presidential election in November. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign manager recently signaled CBS News reported that Harris intends to continue Biden’s freeze on asylum proceedings, while former Donald Trump has promised to restore his hardline border policies.