U.S. Border Patrol released zero migrants from the southern border into the United States in July, extending what the agency described as a record-low enforcement period that has now lasted 15 consecutive months without releases into the interior, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in an Aug. 13 statement.
CBP said illegal crossings last month remained historically low. The agency reported that apprehensions along the southwest border in July were 94 percent below the monthly average recorded under the previous administration. The total number of apprehensions during the current fiscal year through July was lower than the average for a single month during the period from fiscal year 1992 through fiscal year 2024.
The Department of Homeland Security framed the data as evidence of the effectiveness of the current administration’s border security policies. Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the results demonstrate that the administration’s agenda is restoring order and prioritizing the safety of the American people, and that the department remains focused on enforcing immigration laws and removing those who enter the country illegally as swiftly as possible.
CBP attributed the continued decline in crossings and apprehensions to robust enforcement policies it has put in place.
What the numbers show
The 94 percent reduction in monthly apprehensions relative to the prior administration’s average represents a statistically dramatic shift in the volume of illegal crossings at the southwest border, though it reflects both the administration’s enforcement posture and broader factors including diplomatic pressure on source and transit countries, changes in the ability of smuggling networks to operate at scale, and the deterrent effect of policies that have eliminated the practice of releasing migrants into the interior pending immigration hearings.
The zero-release figure for the 15th consecutive month means that individuals apprehended at the border are being held in custody or removed rather than being released with instructions to appear in immigration court at a future date. The prior administration’s use of releases into the interior was a significant source of political controversy, and the Trump administration has made eliminating that practice a central element of its border policy.
The context for the statistics
CBP’s own historical comparison, measuring current fiscal year totals against the average of a single month from 1992 through 2024, is a specific framing choice that maximizes the apparent scale of the reduction. The period from 2021 through 2024 saw historically high crossing numbers, which influences the monthly average for the overall 32-year period.
Border crossing numbers fluctuate significantly across administrations and in response to conditions in source countries, economic factors in the United States and Mexico, and the availability and cost of smuggling services. The current low numbers reflect the combined effect of enforcement policy and these broader variables.
What CBP reported
The August statement from CBP follows a series of monthly reports showing the same downward trend since the current administration’s enforcement posture was implemented. The combination of increased deportations, elimination of interior releases, cooperation with international partners and prosecution of illegal entry has produced the reported numbers.
Immigration advocates and some policy researchers have raised concerns about conditions for migrants held in custody, the processing of asylum claims and the treatment of unaccompanied minors during this enforcement period. Those concerns represent a separate set of data and perspectives that the CBP statement does not address.
The administration has presented the July figures as evidence that its approach is working as intended.
