Border Arrests Drop as Asylum Suspended
WASHINGTON – Arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico dropped by 33% in July to the lowest level since September 2020, as asylum was temporarily suspended, authorities revealed on Friday.
In July, the Border Patrol made 56,408 arrests, a significant decrease from the 83,536 arrests in June, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Asylum at the border was halted on June 5 due to the daily threshold of over 2,500 arrests for illegal crossings. U.S. authorities claim that arrests reduced by 55% after the measure was implemented.
“In July, our border security measures enhanced our ability to deliver consequences for illegal entry,” said Troy Miller, acting CBP commissioner.
The numbers in July could give Democrats some respite on an issue that has been a persistent challenge during Joe Biden’s presidency.
More than 38,000 people were admitted through land crossings using the CBP One online appointment system, with the total exceeding 765,000 since its introduction in January 2023.
Another 520,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were admitted under a separate policy, which has been temporarily halted due to concerns about sponsor fraud.
U.S. Rep. Mark Green criticized the Biden administration’s legal pathways at the border, calling it a “massive shell game.”
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