Declining illegal border crossings is helping get more agents back in the field

Border apprehensions have declined every week in the Tucson Sector since President Biden signed an executive order limiting migrants' access to asylum.

“If you elect to come here unlawfully. You are presumed to be ineligible for asylum," Tucson Deputy Sector Chief Justin De LaTorre said. "That is to discourage people from using, paying money to criminal organizations to come here. Use a lawful pathway.”

Border Patrol led KGUN 9 and other media on a full tour of their soft-sided migrant processing center on Los Reales and Swan. Photos and videos inside were not allowed.

Adam Klepp

We were shown every stage of the process, from where migrants are initially screened, to when they are served with papers saying they are being removed from the country.

CBP officials on the tour said back in December, the facility was packed with people. At the time, over 2,000 people a day were crossing into the Tucson Sector. Now just a few hundred migrants are inside, and most are being deported, or flown to other sectors to be deported there.

Border Patrol says since the order they've been able to re-deploy many agents back into the field. De LaTorre says it's a welcome change, getting back to their main mission of nabbing drugs and people between ports of entry.

“Now we’re only seeing about 400 [apprehensions] a day, so it’s much more manageable," De LaTorre said.

Adam Klepp

While it's more manageable for agents, migrants are facing more consequences for illegally crossing the border. A CBP spokesperson said over 100 people are being deported from the sector daily.

I spoke to some of those deportees in June . Many told us they had asked for asylum but claimed they didn't get an interview with an asylum officer.

David Wright

“We crossed, and asked for asylum, but they didn’t give it to us. They didn’t let us speak," Graciela Ojedo Bustos said.

De LaTorre says he has heard of general concerns about migrants asking for asylum or claiming fear and not receiving a USCIS screening. Border Patrol agents themselves do not give credible fear interviews. They are required under the new executive order to refer migrants to USCIS if they claim fear . They still can be removed if they do not pass the screening.

Adam Klepp

"I'm not seeing it, we're not seeing anything that validates those claims. If there is, we will investigate it and we will address it," De LaTorre said.

Fleeing general violence does not qualify people for asylum in the United States . They must prove they are fleeing their homes for persecution due to their race, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a social group.

Migrants are supposed to be given a fear screening by USCIS under the new order even if they say they intend to apply for asylum , not just if they express general fear.

Tucson Sector agents have not just faced challenges, but historic levels of immigration in the sector. In December, over 80,000 migrants were apprehended by agents, a record for the sector.

“To get to where we are at now, is a direct testament to the integrity, professionalism, and courage to our agents," De LaTorre said.

Even though give-up apprehensions are down, other challenges remain. De LaTorre says there's still an issue with got-aways, people seen or detected by agents but never apprehended.

Adam Klepp

As apprehensions have gone down, there's still anywhere from 20-40 rescues a week as people take dangerous routes through the desert to try and stay in the U.S.

De LaTorre says he and other agents hope the trend of decreasing apprehensions continue, and that more migrants choose to enter the U.S. in legal ways.

"The word gets out pretty quickly, and I think people are finding that this is not the route you should be choosing to come to the country," De LaTorre said.