Recent data revealed by US officials highlights an unexpected decline in illegal border crossings as the Biden administration nears its end. In December, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) noted 47,300 illegal entries, a minor increase from November's 46,612 yet close to the July 2020 baseline. The first half of January continued this downward trend, reporting approximately 45% fewer crossings than observed in December.
Despite increased border activity in South Texas with arrests doubling in the Rio Grande Valley, these figures contrast broader patterns. Arrests there rose to over 10,000 in December, notwithstanding efforts like Operation Lonestar, led by Republicans to tighten border security. Interestingly, arrests outnumbered the number of people processed for asylum via the CBP One app, which had processed nearly 936,500 appointments since its January 2023 inception. Appointments continue to be scheduled despite plans from President-elect Trump to discontinue them.
Overarching trends since December 2023 show a decrease from the peak of nearly 250,000 arrests. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas attributed this to the administration's 2024 asylum policy. "This is a consistent trend," Mayorkas highlighted, noting a 60% reduction in encounters along the southwest border since the policy's implementation. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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