By Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. border authorities apprehended about 54,000 migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in October, according to preliminary figures obtained by Reuters. These show a marginal increase from September but continue the broader downward trend since June, when new restrictions were imposed under President Joe Biden.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has called for even tighter border restrictions despite Republican Donald Trump’s criticism of illegal immigration, as the two vie for the presidency in what has become a very tight race. Immigration is a top issue for voters heading into Tuesday’s election, especially among Republicans, and Trump has stepped up his rhetoric.
October’s roughly 54,000 migrant apprehensions were vastly below the U.S. Border Patrol’s monthly apprehension average of 160,000 through the first eight months of fiscal year 2024, before the Biden restrictions were imposed.
In fiscal year 2023, border agents apprehended an average of 170,000 migrants per month.
In fiscal year 2019, before COVID and during the Trump presidency, the monthly average was about 71,000.
“We have a lot of confidence in the strategy we’re using to manage this,” said a senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection official, who requested anonymity to discuss unpublished statistics. The official said the reduced number of border crossings had allowed more officers to go into the field and focus on human and drug trafficking.
Biden’s restrictions prevented most people who crossed the border illegally from seeking asylum. At the same time, under pressure from the US, Mexico has stepped up its immigration enforcement.
Trump took steps to crack down on both legal and illegal immigration during his 2017-2021 presidency and has promised historic levels of deportations if re-elected. Harris blames Trump for helping to bypass bipartisan legislation earlier this year that aimed to boost border security.
The Biden administration has also launched programs that have allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter legally through “emergency parole,” which Biden officials say have reduced the number of illegal crossings. Republicans argue that Biden programs exceed the limits of the law and serve as a solution to allow migrants to enter the US
(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mary Milliken and Leslie Adler)
