Southern border migrant activity returns to Trump-era levels

Migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border increased slightly in August. The total of those taken into custody remains on track to be the lowest annual figure since the end of the Trump administration, Customs and Border Protection reported Monday, Sept. 16.

Border Patrol agents recorded about 58,000 apprehensions between ports of entry last month, a rise from the previous month but still less than half the number from August 2023. This comes after a sharp decline in migration following the implementation of stricter asylum rules by the Biden administration in June .

Migrant encounters surged after President Joe Biden took office, reaching a peak of 250,000 in December 2023, the highest monthly total on record. However, since the administration tightened asylum regulations in response to political pressure, apprehensions have fallen sharply. In July, the number of border apprehensions hit a four-year low.

CBP officials expect the total number of encounters for the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, to be the lowest since 2020 and lower than the monthly average in 2019.

Despite the recent drop, immigration remains a prominent issue in the 2024 election, with former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance making it a central theme in their campaigns. Both have called for more aggressive border security measures.

As the Biden administration works to maintain lower migration levels, political debate surrounding immigration policy is expected to intensify in the coming months.

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