More migrants encountered at South Texas ports of entry, CBP data shows

McALLEN, Texas ( Border Report ) — Two U.S. Border Patrol sectors in South Texas had slight increases in migrant encounters in August from July, but still are way down from the huge numbers they’ve had in the past and at the end of 2023, according to new data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In August, Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector encountered 5,244 migrants, which was up 4% from 5,032 in July. That’s down 71% from 18,216 in December.

Border Patrol agents in the Del Rio Sector encountered 7,666 migrants in August, which was up 6% from 7,236 in July, but still down 89% from 71,050 in December, CBP reports .

In August, the Del Rio Sector was the fourth-busiest on the Southwest border for encounters, behind San Diego, El Paso and Tucson sectors. The RGV Sector was the fifth-busiest for migrant encounters, CBP data shows.

Migrant encounters along the Southwest border have been among the lowest levels in four years since President Joe Biden in early June issued an emergency asylum order restricting migrants from crossing to claim asylum unless they have a CBP One appointment with a CBP officer.

Those with appointments at eight U.S. ports of entry are processed under the Office of Field Operations, and data for August shows a rise in those numbers.

Unlike the Border Patrol sectors, the OFO sectors are fewer and geographically larger.

The Laredo Sector of OFO, for example, includes all of South Texas. It was the busiest in the nation with 22,219 migrant encounters in August, CBP reports. That’s up 3% from July.

“Since President Biden announced new, decisive executive actions to secure the border on June 4, encounters between ports of entry have dropped significantly and remain at their lowest level in years — July and August saw the lowest encounter levels since September 2020. Encounters in August 2024 were 68% lower than August 2023 and have decreased by more than 50% since President Biden announced the executive actions,” White House Spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández said in a statement.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.

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