Apprehensions along the U.S. Southwest border declined 20 percent in July, the second consecutive month of decreases, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan announced on Aug. 8.
The reductions are attributed mainly to an agreement with Mexico that was signed in June intended to stem the flow of illegal immigration, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. There also has been international collaboration with the Northern Triangle countries to deter smuggling organizations.
“The situation is improving by every available metric, but, I want to be very clear that we remain at and beyond crisis levels in illegal crossings, even as our initiatives to address irregular flows and mitigate humanitarian conditions are making an impact,” McAleenan said.
“Just two months ago, CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) apprehended or encountered 144,000 individuals crossing our border illegally or presenting without documents at Southwest border ports of entry—the highest monthly total in 13 years. In July, that number was 82,000, a 43 percent decrease from May and a 21 percent decrease from the June numbers,” he said.
In July, apprehensions of people crossing the border from Northern Triangle countries fell 26 percent from the previous month, according to CBP data. Migrants from Mexico decreased 11 percent, from Honduras fell 16 percent, from El Salvador declined 21 percent and from Guatemala dropped 41 percent.