With just months left in his term, illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border hit the lowest level in President Joe Biden’s tenure last month, according to multiple reports. In fact, the numbers are similar to those seen under his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.
CBS News first reported on the numbers Monday, citing internal numbers from the Department of Homeland Security. The following day, NBC News also reported that Border Patrol made under 54,000 apprehensions of immigrants trying to cross the northern and southern borders illegally in September.
As of Tuesday, that figure had not been officially released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That’s the lowest they’ve been since Aug. 2020, during the Trump administration, and it’s in line with numbers from the same time of year in 2018, 2019 and 2020, said NBC.
“Trump has repeatedly claimed the border is not secure under the Biden administration, and used the record high numbers prior to mid-2024 to criticize his opponent in the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris,” said the outlet.
Earlier this month, the Pew Research Center also reported on the drop in illegal immigration from Mexico after it reached a record high of 249,741 in December 2023. From that month to this August, encounters with migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border dropped by 77%, the center said.
“The dramatic increase in migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border at the end of 2023 drew widespread criticism from the American public about the government’s handling of the situation, according to a Center survey conducted in early 2024,” Pew added. “At the time, 78% of U.S. adults said the large number of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. at the border with Mexico was either a crisis or a major problem. A similar share (80%) said the U.S. government was doing a bad job dealing with the situation.”
In July, Gallup polling showed that 55% of adults wanted to see a decrease in illegal immigration, compared to 41% who said the same a year prior. That was the first time since 2005 that a majority of Americans have wanted there to be less immigration.
In a Tuesday Truth Social post, Trump called Biden the “worst president in history,” and cited the “BORDER DISASTER” as one of his reasons. However, Biden’s move to issue executive actions limiting asylum claims by border crossers this summer seems to have resulted in a steep decline in illegal immigration crossings. This order was expanded this month, per the Washington Post.
“It is not yet known how many immigrants came into the U.S. in the same period legally through newly created pathways established by the Biden administration,” said NBC.
Along with stricter border policy from the U.S., the outlet said efforts inside Mexico have also reduced illegal crossings. In Mexico, there have been increased interdictions of U.S.-bound migrants, “but officials who have spoken with NBC News suggest Mexico may soon reach the limits of its ability to interrupt the journeys of migrants headed north,” the outlet said.