Photo by David Peinado/Pexels
The numbers of migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border fell to the lowest number since the start of Fiscal Year 2023 in October. In June, 144,571 people tried to cross the border.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number is the lowest since February 2021, when 101,099 people were apprehended at the country’s southern border. The number represents a 30% drop when compared to May, when 206,702 people were detected trying to cross the border.
In January 2023, the CBP One app began having the function of scheduling times for migrants to present themselves at land entry points, to encourage the use of legal means to enter the U.S. According to CBP, in June, more than 38,000 people who scheduled appointments through the app were processed at points of entry.
The drop in numbers is attributed to the fall of Title 42, a pandemic measure that prohibited asylum claims but also restricted deportations, allowing expelled migrants to try to cross the border again. After the measure was overturned on May 11, Title 8 was applied, which allows asylum applications and deportations, which can prohibit entry into the country for up to 10 years.
Between January and February, the number of entries had already been reduced, following the announcement in January of a measure that expanded the entry permit granted to Venezuelans who arrived legally in the country. The measure extended the permit to nationals of Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua.
The measure, which allows regularized work as long as migrants meet a number of requirements, also facilitates the swift expulsion of nationals who cross the border without authorization. If apprehended, nationals of the four countries are ineligible to apply for legal entry through the program.
Despite expectations of a permanent reduction in irregular entry attempts, in March the numbers grew again.
Since the start of Fiscal Year 2023 in October 2022, the U.S. has recorded more than 1.7 million attempts to enter the country through the southern border with Mexico. In this period, the month with the highest incidence of registrations was December, with 252,330 entry attempts.
The current numbers already surpass the total figures for 2021, when 1,734,686 migrants were detected at the border. In 2022, crossings topped 2 million for the first time, with a total of 2,378,944 attempts.
By Amanda Almeida, from the Communication Team
