CBP sees major drop in illegal migrant encounters due to stricter asylum rules.
Record Low Illegal Border Crossings in June
In June, the number of illegal border crossings along the Southwest border reached its lowest point in over two years, dropping by almost a third compared to May.
According to a press release by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 18, the agency’s operational statistics for June 2023 show a significant and ongoing decline in migrant encounters.
This decline is attributed to the enforcement of consequences under Title 8 authorities and the expansion of lawful pathways and processes. CBP also reported successful efforts in intercepting drugs, resulting in a notable increase in narcotics seizures.
The U.S. Border Patrol recorded 99,545 encounters between ports of entry, representing a 42 percent decrease from May.
Overall, the total number of Southwest border encounters, including those at ports of entry with or without a CBP One appointment, was 144,607, marking a 30 percent decrease from the previous month. These figures represent the lowest monthly Southwest border encounter numbers since February 2021.
Troy A. Miller, the CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, credited the agency’s efforts to enforce consequences under Title 8 authorities and expand lawful pathways for the decline in illegal migrant encounters.
Miller stated, “Our sustained efforts to enforce consequences under our longstanding Title 8 authorities, combined with expanding access to lawful pathways and processes, have driven the number of migrant encounters along the Southwest border to their lowest levels in more than two years. We will remain vigilant.”
In addition to reducing illegal immigration, CBP has made significant progress in stopping the movement of dangerous drugs across the border. The agency has implemented non-intrusive scanning tools and established working labs to quickly identify potential drugs and detect trends.
In June, nationwide seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana combined increased by 7% compared to May. Of particular concern is the surge in fentanyl seizures, with CBP already seizing over 22,000 pounds in Fiscal Year 2023, compared to 8,300 pounds during the same period in FY 2022.
Recent CBP Changes
CBP processes all migrants in accordance with Title 8 immigration laws and places illegal border crossers into Expedited Removal or Section 240 Removal Proceedings.
Illegal migrants who cross between ports of entry or show up at a port of entry without making a CBP One appointment are subject to the “lawful pathways rule,” which states that people cannot seek asylum if they do not use legal methods. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
In an effort to disrupt supply chains involved in the production and transportation of fentanyl, CBP launched two new interagency operations in June: Operations Artemis and Rolling Wave.
Operation Artemis, which began on June 5, has already resulted in over 130 seizures, including 21 pill presses, 54 pill molds, more than 5,000 pounds of precursor chemicals, over 300 pounds of methamphetamine, and over 5,000 pounds of other drugs.
Concurrently, the U.S. Border Patrol is running Operation Rolling Wave.
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