Exclusive: Encounters with illegal immigrants at the U.S. southern border plummeted in the first days of the Trump administration compared to the last days of the Biden administration, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials tell Fox News told Digital.
The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border during the first three days of the Trump administration was down 35% compared to the last three days of the Biden administration, the official said. This number does not include encounters at the northern border or at ports of entry by CBP’s Field Operations Directorate.
On January 17, there were 1,288 encounters nationwide, followed by 1,266 on January 18, and 1,354 on January 19. This resulted in a total of 3,908 encounters.
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President Donald Trump holds an executive order and the same-day document granting pardons for the January 6 defendants in the Oval Office of the White House on January 20, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
On the 20th, when President Trump was inaugurated, 1,073 people were encountered. After that, there were 736 encounters on the 21st, which decreased again to 714 on the 22nd, resulting in 2,523 encounters.
Numbers at the border vary widely on a daily and weekly basis, but have been relatively low since June, when President Biden signed an executive order restricting asylum. This followed a historic migration crisis from 2021 that repeatedly broke records.
Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. who requested an appointment in advance with the CBP One Mobile application head to the U.S. to attend their appointment at the El Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, January 18, 2025. Silhouettes of people queuing up. (Reuters/Jorge Duens)
President Donald Trump introduced additional restrictions. After taking office, he signed an order declaring a national emergency at the border, deploying troops to the border, and ending the use of the CBP One app to process migrants on humanitarian parole at ports of entry.
The administration also launched a large-scale deportation operation that has ICE agents working in multiple cities and states across the country.
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The Department of Homeland Security also released a memo reversing restrictions on ICE put in place by the Biden administration, ordering a review of parole, and expanding the use of expedited deportations for recently arrived illegal immigrants.
The Trump administration is also moving to restart construction of the border wall and reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy, which requires migrants to remain in Mexico while applying for asylum.
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President Trump also signed an executive order eliminating birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants. The measure quickly prompted lawsuits from nearly two dozen Democratic-led states.
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Although this data is preliminary, lower numbers could fuel speculation about a “Trump effect”, with immigrants less likely to be allowed into the country or deported if they do. Given the high possibility, he is discouraged from heading to the border. teeth.
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.
Contact him at adam.shaw2@fox.com or at: Twitter.
