Illegal border crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen to a four-year low, with 46,610 people stranded between ports of entry in November, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The number of illegal crossings decreased by 18% from the previous month, marking the lowest level since July 2020, authorities said.
“Intensified enforcement efforts in recent months, combined with executive actions and coordination with Mexico and Central American countries, have had a lasting and meaningful impact,” said Troy A. Miller, Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “There is,” he said.
More than 240,000 people were deported between June and November, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The department also deported more than 700,000 people in fiscal year 2024, more than in any year since 2010.
The numbers mark a turnaround of sorts for the Biden administration, which faced significant political backlash over a spike in illegal railroad crossings early in his term. Trump criticized Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the increase.
Immigration experts say the decline in border encounters, meaning people are no longer trying to cross the border in the areas between ports of entry, is due to multiple factors, including the current administration’s “carrot and stick” approach. I think this is due to the following factors.
Under the Biden administration, authorities have launched an app for migrants to make reservations to travel to Mexico and are encouraging them to report to ports of entry. It also decided to prevent illegal entry between ports of entry, and to deny asylum status to those who attempt to enter the country by such means.
The sharp decline comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, with his administration making cracking down on illegal immigration a top priority. During the campaign, President Trump and his top advisers characterized the southern border as out of control and under “invasion” and promised mass deportations.
In an interview with Time, President Trump vowed to mobilize the military to help deport millions of illegal immigrants.
“People are coming into the country at levels and record numbers we’ve never seen before,” Trump said. “We’ll do what the law allows us to do, and I think in many cases we’ll need the help of sheriffs and law enforcement. We’ll also have the National Guard. We’ll deploy the National Guard and go as far as we’re allowed to go.”
However, recent border crossing figures paint a somewhat different picture.
Border Patrol agents there have reported a decline in border crossings over the past seven months, with a 60% drop between May and November, the agency said.
Department of Homeland Security officials also say the number of people being deported has doubled in recent months.
The CBP One app allows migrants traveling to Mexico to make reservations at ports of entry and avoid U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents en route, said Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokeswoman for the Migration Policy Institute. This could discourage people from trying to enter the country through the desert.
The administration also issued an order excluding illegal immigrants from asylum eligibility and encouraged the governments of Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica to tighten immigration controls in their counties.
“November marked the first time in history that the majority of encounters were migrants arriving at ports of entry, rather than being intercepted after crossing the border without authorization, demonstrating that this carrot-and-stick approach is working. That’s proof that there is,” Mittelstadt said.
Despite the decline in border encounters, the incoming Trump administration continues to promise an aggressive approach to deportations, with some governments threatening to bring consequences if sanctuary cities or states get in their way. is threatening.
Tom Homan, who served as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration and was appointed “border czar” during the second Trump administration, called for more workplace raids.
He told Fox News that cities that refuse to assist federal immigration authorities could face criminal charges.
“If you knowingly hide or hide an illegal alien from a police officer, that’s a felony,” he said.
Marisa Cianciarulo, dean of Western State Law School in Irvine and an expert in immigration and refugee law, recalls family separation and detention during the first Trump administration, as well as recent threats of mass deportation. He said it may be playing a temporary role. discourage immigrants;
“I think we’re going to see some kind of pre-emptive response to the new administration,” she said. “There will be fear and anxiety and they will look for other ways to support their families.”
Trump’s incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, also sent a letter to numerous California officials, cities and counties warning them of the possible consequences of interfering with immigration enforcement.
In September, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) and other members of the House Judiciary Committee held field hearings on the border crisis in San Diego County, meeting the mayors of Santee and Chula Vista, law enforcement officials, and residents. invited to testify.
Issa, whose district includes much of San Diego County, said in his opening statement that while there are people who have legally sought asylum and made efforts to legally enter the country, there are millions of people who entered the country illegally. He said there are some.
“Our goal is to restore the rule of law and recognize that our country can legally admit immigrants only if we can control our borders.”
Issa could not be reached for comment.
During the hearing, Santee Mayor John Minto said the Biden-Harris administration’s approach to border security and immigration not only impacts the state, but also San Diego County, which is on the front lines of the issue. He said that from September 2023 to May 2024, San Diego County will accept up to 154,000 immigrants for street release, many of whom were placed on trolleys and sent to the eastern region of the county.
“These unofficial figures highlight the unprecedented scale of the region’s border crisis,” he said. “The influx of immigrants is depleting local resources, including overcrowding of local hospitals, requiring San Diego County officials to respond with a coordinated effort that includes federal, state, and local assistance.”
Minto could not be reached for comment.
Earlier this month, San Diego County passed a new policy prohibiting jail officials from cooperating in any way with immigration officials.
This policy goes beyond the state’s current law, which allows local jurisdictions to notify immigration authorities when a person convicted of certain violent or sexual felonies is scheduled to be released from prison. It was something. Under the new policy, the city of San Diego will not provide release dates to federal authorities.
The policy has caused a conflict between county supervisors and the San Diego County Sheriff, who said it will continue to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as state law allows.
California officials are expecting a conflict with the new administration. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta called the letter from Miller’s America First Legal a “scare tactic.” Bonta said the state is preparing for a legal challenge.
But Cianciarulo warns that punitive policies against immigrants tend to have only temporary effects. Immigrants end up at risk when economic and political factors force people to leave their home countries and are lured by the possibility of working in the United States.
“No matter how strict or punitive the laws are, we still go back to the fact that immigration is an economic reality,” Cianciarulo said. “[Migration] It’s not an emotional decision. ”
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