US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents encountered 58,000 undocumented migrants along the Southwest border in August, according to a September 16 news release.
"CBP continues to enforce the Securing the Border interim final rule and deliver strong consequences for illegal entry, and encounters between ports of entry remain at their lowest level in years. Through the work of our dedicated personnel, this enhanced enforcement posture is meaningfully disrupting the operations of deadly transnational criminal organizations. In August, CBP’s counternarcotics surge efforts also led to the seizure of 30% more dangerous drugs than in July – keeping them out of our communities and enabling further enforcement against these criminal networks," said Troy A. Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner in the September 16 news release.
According to CBP, since President Biden's Presidential Proclamation and the Interim Final Rule were implemented on June 5 to shut down immigration when encounters reach a certain threshold, more than 131,000 individuals have been returned to 140 countries through September 10. From June to August at the northern border, there was a 30% decrease in encounters with undocumented migrants. CBP encounters dropped by 68% when compared to August 2023, according to the September 16 news release.
The agency has not only focused on migrant encounters but also on drug seizures. During the fiscal year through the end of August, CBP agents seized more than 19,600 pounds of fentanyl. Nationwide in August, seizures of narcotics such as marijuana, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine increased by weight by 31% from July figures. This includes a rise of 113% in cocaine and an increase of 84% in methamphetamine seizures.
The Department of Homeland Security continues its Advance Travel Authorization (ATA) processing for paroling certain Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV). There has been a reported decline of 99% in encounters with CHNV nationals between ports of entry.
The US Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security responsible for safeguarding national borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates across 328 ports of entry and protects approximately 7,000 miles of land borders and about 95,000 miles of maritime borders.
