Record Low in U.S.-Mexico Border Migrant Crossings in February
WASHINGTON — The number of migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in February is projected to be at or near a record monthly low, according to a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other sources who spoke with Reuters.
The U.S. Border Patrol is expected to have arrested approximately 8,500 migrants at the border as the end of the month approaches, as stated by DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. Other sources corroborate that this monthly total would align with a record low.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, implemented a series of measures aimed at deterring illegal immigration upon returning to the White House on January 20. He emphasized the necessity of a crackdown following high levels of migration during the tenure of his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Among Trump’s actions were the enforcement of a comprehensive ban on asylum at the border and the deployment of military troops to bolster border security efforts. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over this ban, asserting that it contravenes U.S. asylum law and international treaties.
Additionally, the Trump administration established new agreements with Mexico and Central American nations to accept U.S. deportees and has even redirected some migrants to a camp located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
U.S. Border Patrol’s monthly enforcement statistics have been tracked since 2000. The current record for the lowest monthly total stands at April 2017, when 11,127 arrests occurred at the onset of Trump’s first term.
While there was a similar decline in border arrests at the beginning of Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021, the figures rebounded significantly in the subsequent months and years.
The projected numbers for February indicate a dramatic decrease from the 141,000 migrant arrests recorded in February 2024, and a reduction from 29,000 in January, based on U.S. government statistics.
