The number of illegal crossings into the United States through the Texas-Mexico border is down 87%, according to a local official.
Mike Banks, Special Advisor on Border Matters under Gov. Greg Abbott said that, as the number of encounters has slowed down, the federal government has opted to temporarily move agents out of Texas to other ports of entry in Arizona, California and New Mexico.
"We're here to say, 'don't try it in Texas,'" Banks said in an interview with News 4 San Antonio. "We're not going to accept illegal entries into the state of Texas. You're going to come legally, or you're not going to come," he added.
The low number of encounters seen lately come as the Biden administration implemented new efforts to reduce unlawful crossings, including an executive order in June that severely restricted asylum claims at the border, as well as increased deportations. While these measures have led to a temporary decline in crossings, the long-term impact remains uncertain as migrants and smugglers adapt to changing policies.
As reported by The Latin Times, migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have reached their lowest levels since President Biden took office, that is according to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The agency reported 56,408 migrant encounters between ports of entry in July, which signifies an 80 percent drop from last December when illegal crossings surged to their highest-ever level.
The number of migrants crossing the border has declined steadily over the past five months. The decline was observed across all demographics, including single adults, families, and unaccompanied minors, during a period when migration typically increases.
The number of migrant encounters at ports of entry, via CBP One appointments, also declined in July, year over year: to roughly 38,000 from more than 44,000 in the same month a year ago.
"The numbers have indeed decreased and have decreased significantly," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told USA TODAY. "The reason for it is not singular. It is a number of different measures that we and others have taken," he added.
In June, CBP officials in Texas apprehended 30,771 migrants between ports of entry, down from 45,139 such apprehensions in May. So far this year, the month with the highest number of encounters was March with 54,172 but numbers have dropped each month since.
During the 2023 fiscal year, Texas on average accounted for roughly 59 percent of migrant encounters along the southwest border. During the first half of the 2024 fiscal year, that number decreased to an average of 43 percent of migrant encounters.
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