June migrant encounters drop to lowest numbers seen in more than 2 years
The number of monthly migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border in June dropped to the lowest level in more than two years.
Total Southwest encounters in June were 144,607, a 30% decrease from May, according to newly released data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The number, which includes people who presented at ports of entry with or without a CBP One appointment, is the lowest since February 2021.
June’s encounter figures are the second-lowest monthly numbers since President Joe Biden took office. June’s data continues the downward trend seen since monthly encounters on the southern border began to steadily decrease in April.
“Our sustained efforts to enforce consequences under our longstanding Title 8 authorities, combined with expanding access to lawful pathways and processes, have driven the number of migrant encounters along the Southwest border to their lowest levels in more than two years,” said Troy Miller, CBP senior official performing the duties of the commissioner.
In the first full month after Title 42 ended, Border Patrol documented 99,545 encounters between ports of entry along the southern border, a 42% fall from May. Numbers dropped across all major demographics in June, including family units, single adults and unaccompanied children.
In Arizona, numbers fell in both of CBP’s Yuma and Tucson sectors.
Encounter numbers decreased by over 41% in the Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector in June, dropping from 15,284 in May to 8,969 in June.
In Tucson, numbers decreased by nearly 17%, going from 32,872 in May to 27,294 in June.
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Historically, the number of migrant encounters has almost always decreased during the summer months as people avoided making the journey in scorching temperatures.
Experts have cautioned that the lower numbers are attributable, in part, to a “wait and see” approach following the end of the Title 42 border restriction and the onset of Biden’s new asylum rule.
Title 42 allowed border officials to rapidly turn back migrants arriving at the country’s borders for over three years. The restriction ended May 11.
Biden’s new asylum rule heavily restricts migrants’ access to asylum while incentivizing them to utilize lawful pathways, such as parole programs and the CBP One mobile application.
More than 38,000 people scheduled CBP One appointments and were processed at ports of entry in June, per CBP data. From January to June, more than 170,000 people have scheduled CBP One appointments.
There have been many “wait and see” periods in the past, usually following a change to U.S. immigration policy. Numbers always recover following these periods, experts say.
Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.