(TheRedWire.com) – A significant effort by Mexican authorities has led to a more than 50% reduction in illegal crossings at the southern border since December’s record highs.
U.S. Border Patrol agents have been apprehending an average of about 3,700 migrants daily between official ports of entry in the first three weeks of May. This marks a 54% decline from the daily average of 8,000 in December, when illegal entries peaked at an all-time high of 301,980 encounters, per statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
May is poised to become the third consecutive month showing a decrease in unlawful border crossings, although the numbers remain above pre-pandemic levels.
These figures do not account for migrants processed at official border crossings, where the administration currently admits approximately 1,500 asylum-seekers each day.
Border expert Jaeson Jones has criticized the administration for potentially misrepresenting the situation, pointing out that overall data indicates a record 1.9 million encounters in the first seven months of the fiscal year. He highlights the role of the newly introduced CBP 1 app, which permits hundreds of thousands to fly into airports across the U.S., suggesting that this might skew the perceived impact of border policies.
Senior U.S. officials attribute the decline in illegal crossings partly to stringent measures against U.S.-bound migrants by the Mexican government. Additionally, Mexican authorities had intercepted more than 280,000 migrants, nearly tripling the figure from early last year.
Mexico has implemented a busing program to move migrants away from the border, a strategy reportedly designed to satisfy demands from the Biden administration.
Despite these external efforts, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has attributed the reduction in illegal crossings primarily to initiatives by the Biden administration. In an interview with CBS News, Mayorkas outlined several strategies, including enforcement strengthening, anti-smuggler operations, and the creation of lawful pathways for eligible individuals to enter the U.S. safely and legally.
Moreover, NBC News disclosed that the administration is finalizing a new executive action that could allow the president to temporarily close the southern border to migrants during the election year if deemed necessary. This plan, along with other executive actions, is expected to be revealed after Mexico’s presidential election on June 2, following discussions with Mexico to secure cooperation on key measures.
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