CBP enforcement report shows recent decline

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agency’s recently released enforcement actions report reflects a decline in the last 90 days while activity levels remain high.

The analysis showed this year through August, the total number of people apprehended or found to be inadmissible was 64,006, representing a 22 percent decline from 82,055 in July and a 56 percent drop off since the May peak of 144,255.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we’ve been able to utilize a number of tools to help begin to mitigate, but not end, the national security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border,” Mar Morgan, acting CBP Commissioner, said. “The continued drop in enforcement actions is encouraging, but make no mistake, we’re still in a crisis and more must be done. Until Congress makes targeted changes to immigration laws, we will continue to see stark challenges.”

Officials attribute the decline to domestic policy initiatives and international agreements addressing legal and illegal immigration, including pacts with Guatemala to address irregular migration, the Migrant Protection Protocols with Mexico, the final rule regarding non-Mexican asylum seekers at the southern border, interior enforcement operations, and international cooperation between the United States and Central American countries.

Enforcement actions in August have traditionally been higher than July for six of the past eight years, confirming this year’s decrease from July to August is not just a traditional seasonal decrease. In Fiscal Year 2018, August apprehensions were 16 percent higher than July.