Historic Low in Border Crossings for July: Impact of New Immigration Measures

According to Newsweek In July, the U.S.-Mexico border experienced its lowest number of crossings in four years, a notable drop that could benefit Democrats as immigration remains a key issue in the upcoming presidential election.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there were 56,408 encounters at the southwest border in July, marking a 32% decrease from the previous month and the lowest figure since September 2020, during the height of the pandemic.

Troy A. Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, attributed the reduction to enhanced border security measures and the impact of President Joe Biden’s asylum ban, enacted in June. “In July, our border security measures enhanced our ability to deliver consequences for illegal entry – leading to the lowest number of encounters along the southwest border in more than three years,” Miller stated in a press release.

The number of encounters is now below the monthly average for 2019, the last year before the pandemic-era border restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. The drop in encounters is largely attributed to Biden’s executive order, which capped asylum entries and effectively halted them. Since June 4, encounters between ports of entry have decreased by 55%, with over 92,000 people removed or returned to their home countries. The number of immigrants processed for expedited removal, bypassing immigration court proceedings, has tripled since the rule’s implementation on June 5.

CBP also highlighted its collaboration with international partners to manage migration, including Mexico’s increased efforts to prevent people from reaching the U.S. border. The agency has been working to combat transnational criminal organizations involved in human trafficking and has recently achieved its largest fentanyl seizure in history. Since October 2023, CBP has seized over 17,900 pounds of fentanyl, significantly increasing its seizure efforts over the past two years.

Additionally, CBP noted protections provided to individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela under the parole program, with over 520,000 granted protected status since January 2023. Although the program was paused last month due to concerns about fraud, the Department of Homeland Security is working to resume it as soon as possible.