U.S. Border Arrests Drop in April Amid Increased Mexican Enforcement
Arrests for illegally crossing the U.S. border from Mexico decreased by over 6% in April, marking the fourth lowest month during the Biden administration, U.S. authorities announced on Wednesday. This decline differs from the usual trend of increased border crossings during spring.
U.S. officials attribute this decrease primarily to heightened enforcement in Mexico, particularly in areas where migrants typically board freight trains. According to Alicia Barcena, Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretary, Mexico now restricts illegal crossings to a maximum of 4,000 daily, down from peaks of over 10,000 daily Border Patrol arrests recorded in December.
In April, migrants were arrested 128,900 times, compared to 137,480 in March and a record 249,737 in December, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Despite still being historically high, this reduction provides some relief for President Joe Biden, especially during an election year.
Customs and Border Protection’s acting commissioner Troy Miller highlighted that enhanced enforcement and international cooperation contributed to these lower figures.
Additionally, authorities permitted 41,400 individuals to enter the U.S. in April through land crossings with Mexico via the CBP One online appointment app, totaling over 591,000 since its launch in January 2023. The U.S. also allows up to 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to enter monthly if they apply online with a financial sponsor and travel on commercial flights. By April, approximately 435,000 individuals, including 91,000 Cubans, 166,700 Haitians, 75,700 Nicaraguans, and 101,200 Venezuelans, entered the U.S. through this process.
San Diego became the busiest of the Border Patrol's nine sectors along the Mexican border for the first time since the 1990s, with 37,370 arrests, overtaking Tucson, Arizona.