Illegal border crossings between the United States and Mexico fell to a four-year low, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with 46,610 people arrested between ports of entry in november.
The number of illegal crossings that month marked an 18% decrease from the previous month, and the lowest level since July 2020, the agency said.
“Our increased enforcement efforts, combined with executive actions and coordination with Mexico and Central American countries over the past several months, are having a lasting and significant impact,” said Troy A. Miller, Chief Par Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Between June and November, the Department of Homeland Security deported more than 240,000 people, according to the agency. In fiscal year 2024, the department also expelled more than 700,000 people from the country, more than in any previous year since 2010.
The numbers represent something of a turnaround for the Biden administration, which faced major political backlash following a surge in illegal crossings early in Biden’s term. Trump criticized Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the increases.
Immigration experts attribute the drop in border crossings — people have stopped trying to cross in areas between ports of entry — to several factors, including what they call the ” “carrot and stick” of the current administration.
Under the Biden administration, authorities have encouraged migrants to go to ports of entry, launching an app to make appointments as they travel through Mexico. It also discouraged illegal entry between ports of entry, making those who attempt to enter the country in this manner ineligible for asylum.
This sharp decline comes just weeks before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, bringing with him an administration that has made the fight against illegal immigration a top priority. During his campaign, Trump and his top advisers called the southern border out of control and an “invasion,” and promised mass expulsions.
In an interview with Time, Trump pledged to mobilize the military to help deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
“We have record levels and numbers of people coming in, like we’ve never seen before,” Trump said. “I will do what the law allows. And I think in many cases, sheriffs and law enforcement will need help. We will also have the National Guard. We will have the National Guard and we will go as far as I am allowed to go.
Recent border crossing figures, however, paint a somewhat different picture.
Border Patrol agents in the field have reported a decline in crossings over the past seven months, according to the agency, with a 60% decrease occurring between May and November.
Department of Homeland Security officials also said the number of people seeking deportation has doubled in recent months.
The CBP One app allows migrants traveling through Mexico to make appointments at ports of entry, discouraging them from trying to enter the country through intervening deserts to avoid Customs and Border Patrol agents of the United States, said Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokeswoman for the Migration Policy Institute.
The administration also issued an order making those who make illegal crossings ineligible for asylum, and encouraged the governments of Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica to strengthen migration controls in their counties.
“November marked the first time that a majority of encounters were migrants arriving at a port of entry rather than being intercepted after crossing the border without authorization – proof that this carrot and stick approach was paying off “said Mittelstadt.
Despite fewer encounters at the border, the new Trump administration has continued to promise an aggressive approach to expulsions, and some have threatened sanctuary cities and states with consequences if they stand in the way.
Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration and named “border czar” for the second, called for an increase in workplace raids.
He told Fox News that cities that refuse to help federal immigration agencies could face criminal prosecution.
“If you knowingly hide or harbor an illegal alien from a police officer, it is a crime,” he said.
Marisa Cianciarulo, dean of Western State College of Law in Irvine and an expert on immigration and refugee law, said memories of family separations and detentions during the first Trump administration, as well as recent threats of deportations massive, could also play a temporary role in discouraging migrants.
“I think we’re seeing sort of a preemptive response to the new administration,” she said. “There is fear and anxiety, and they will look for other ways to provide for their families. »
Trump’s new deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, also sent letters to a number of California, city and county officials, warning them of possible consequences if they interfered with law enforcement in immigration matters.
In September, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) and other members of the House Judiciary Committee held a field hearing in San Diego County on the border crisis, inviting the mayors of Santee and Chula Vista, law enforcement officials and residents to testify.
In his opening statement, Issa, whose district includes much of San Diego County, said that while some people are legitimately seeking asylum and have worked to enter the country legally, millions have entered illegally. the country.
“Our goal is to restore the rule of law and recognize that we can have legal immigration into our country, but only if we can control the border,” he said.
Issa could not immediately be reached for comment.
During the hearing, Santee Mayor John Minto said the Biden-Harris administration’s approach to border security and immigration affects not only the state but also San Diego County , who was at the forefront of the problem. He said that between September 2023 and May 2024, San Diego County received as many as 154,000 migrants released onto the street, many of whom were placed in carts and sent to the eastern region of the county.
“These unofficial figures underline the unprecedented and serious scale of the border crisis in the region,” he said. “The influx of migrants has stretched local resources, including overcrowding local hospitals, prompting San Diego County officials to respond with a coordinated effort involving federal, state and regional support. »
Minto could not immediately be reached for comment.
Earlier this month, San Diego County adopted a new policy that would prevent prison officials from cooperating in any way with immigration officials.
This policy goes beyond current state law, which allows local jurisdictions to notify immigration officials when a person convicted of certain violent or sexual crimes is about to be released from custody. prison. Under the new policy, San Diego would not provide release dates to federal officials.
The policy sparked a standoff between county supervisors and the San Diego County sheriff, who said she would continue to cooperate with federal immigration agents to the extent state law allows.
California officials expect conflict with the new administration. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta called Miller’s America First Legal letters a “scare tactic.” Bonta said the state is preparing for legal challenges.
But Cianciarulo warns that punitive policies against migrants tend to have only temporary effects. If economic and political factors push people to leave their home countries and they are lured by the prospect of working in the United States, migrants will eventually take the risk.
“Even though the laws are strict and punitive, we always come back to the fact that immigration is an economic reality,” Cianciarulo said. “[Migration] is not an emotional decision.
