The amount of apprehensions at the southern border over the past days have dropped so much the figure is close to reaching the figure set by the Biden administration to lift a partial ban on asylum seeking.
Concretely, the measure determines the ban will go into effect once the seven-day average of daily encounters surpasses 2,500 and will be lifted once it drops below 1,500.
Figures were much higher when the executive action was announced, meaning the ban began immediately. But they had been dropping at the moment and the trend has exacerbated ever since, with new figures obtained by CBS News showing that over the past week the daily average of encounters reached roughly 1,650. The number for all of July currently stands at 1,800.
Should apprehensions effectively below the threshold, the order will be "discontinued 14 days after" Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas makes a "factual determination" regarding this. It will be reimposed if the average goes back to surpassing 2,500.
Regardless of whether the ban is lifted, apprehensions in July are continuing the downward trend, with June already being the lowest of the Biden administration, according to Customs and Border Patrol.
Statistics released by the agency this week showed that such apprehensions decreased by 29% in June, clocking in at 83,536. This compares to 117,901 in May and is the lowest tally since January 2021.
Troy Miller, acting Customs and Border Protection commissioner said that the administration's recent executive orders aimed at stemming migratory flows have been key to the decrease. "Recent border security measures have made a meaningful impact on our ability to impose consequences for those crossing unlawfully," Miller said.
Taking a more granular look, San Diego was the busiest of the nine border sections, followed by Tucson, Arizona. Encounters have sharply dropped along Texas as the Greg Abbott administration reinforced its sector of the border with troops and infrastructure to deter migrants from crossing through the state.
Mexico has been also playing a key role in reducing encounters, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanking his Mexican counterpart, Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena, on Wednesday for the country's efforts to this end. Speaking before a bilateral meeting in Washington, Blinken highlighted that migration is a top priority for the United States in its relationship with Mexico, which he described as being "at its best."
Mexican authorities have increased controls on roads and trains used by migrants, complicating their journey to the United States. Additionally, Mexico has significantly increased the detention of migrants within its territory, often before they reach the U.S. border.
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