U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reportedly detained 37,500 fewer illegal immigrants in June than in May.
Numbers of detainees have been on the increase for the past six months but June marked a dramatic turnaround, CBP sources told the Washington Examiner in a story published Tuesday.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent speaks with Central American immigrants at the border fence after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico on February 01, 2019 in El Paso, Texas. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Although arrests do not necessarily capture the total number of illegal migrants attempting to enter the United States, the number is a fair indication of the overall trend. (RELATED: Would-Be Refugees Trying To Buy Children To Enter The US)
The vast majority of those trying to illegally enter the United States are attempting to cross from Mexico, with border agendas detaining 94,487 migrants in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. In May, those guards apprehended 132,000 illegal aliens — the most recorded since March 2006.
Some people did try to enter the U.S. from Canada — the northern border saw a total of 650 illegal immigrants arrested.
One official told the Examiner that the reduced flow of illegals does not mean the border crisis has ended because on average CBP detained 3,166 migrants every day in June while detention facilities are can only accommodate 4,000 people.
Even though illegal immigrants are supposed to remain in a detention center for 72 hours before their release to either another government agency or into the American population, many are not going anywhere for up to a month, according to the Examiner’s sources, because Immigration and Customs Enforcement has run out of detention space too.
Although the numbers cited by the Examiner’s sources are not official, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan has indicated that arrests at the border were on the decline by as much as 25%. (RELATED: Democratic Mayor: ‘We Are Sick And Tired’ Of Government Inaction On Illegal Immigration)
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan prepares to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee May 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
He has also suggested that the drop in detainees is a direct result of Mexico’s commitment to better secure its side of the border as a result of an agreement achieved by President Donald Trump after he talked about imposing a tariff on all Mexican exports to the U.S.
Though the numbers of illegal immigrants are declining, in an overall context, they remain high compared to the 50,000 detained last December, the Examiner noted.