Authorities have indicated that arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico during August are anticipated to increase slightly from July, potentially breaking a streak of five consecutive monthly declines. The numbers, however, remain near four-year lows.
As of Thursday, approximately 54,000 arrests had been made, with projections suggesting that the total for August could reach around 58,000 by the end of the month. This trend indicates a possible stabilization in arrests after a significant decrease from a record high of 250,000 in December.
The decline in arrests has been attributed to various factors, including increased enforcement by Mexican authorities within their borders and the temporary suspension of asylum processing invoked by President Joe Biden in June. July saw arrests plummet to 56,408, marking a nearly four-year low that has remained relatively unchanged in August.
In response to the latest numbers, the Department of Homeland Security has called on Congress to support legislation aimed at suspending asylum processing under certain conditions, restructuring asylum claim procedures to alleviate backlogs in immigration courts, and bolstering Border Patrol resources.
The Biden-Harris Administration, in collaboration with partner countries, has managed to achieve the lowest number of encounters at the Southwest border since September 2020, according to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
While the decrease in illegal border crossings is seen as positive news for the current administration, there are differing opinions among immigration advocates and enforcement proponents regarding the extent of asylum restrictions and entry pathways offered by the Biden administration.
Notably, over 765,000 individuals entered the U.S. legally through an online appointment app called CBP One by the end of July, with an additional 520,000 individuals from specific nationalities being permitted entry through airports with financial sponsors. A temporary suspension of airport-based entry for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela was implemented in July to address concerns of sponsor-related fraud.
San Diego recorded the highest number of arrests among the Border Patrol's sectors on the Mexican border in August, followed by El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona. Arrests of individuals from Colombia and Ecuador decreased, attributed to deportation flights to these South American countries, while Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras remained the top three nationalities among those apprehended.
