Migrant arrests at US southern border drop by 50%

Since President Joe Biden’s executive order went into effect six weeks ago, the number of irregular border crossings has dropped by more than 50 percent, the Department of Homeland Security said. The federal agency also reported a 70 percent drop in people released pending deportation proceedings.

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“Border Patrol decreased border apprehensions to fewer than 1,900 per day on a 7-day average. In June, Border Patrol processed 83,536 migrants between ports of entry, the lowest number since January 2021, and below the number of migrants processed between ports of entry in June 2019, the last comparable year before the pandemic.”

The decline in the number of migrants crossing the border illegally has allowed immigration authorities to focus on detecting and seizing drugs and detaining people who seek to evade their controls.

Benjamin Salcedo, Border Patrol Agent

“Our workforce was focused on processing, with that decrease, we can send more agents into the field.”.

“our manpower was being concentrated on processing. So with that decrease, we’re able to field more agents out in the field.”

Immigration attorneys said migrants fear crossing for several reasons.

Alex Galvez, immigration attorney

“The consequences of coming now and the punishment are much greater than before and that is causing migrants to think twice or three times before that odyssey from their home countries to the border.”

While the president’s actions are showing results at the border, the Biden administration insists that Congressional action is needed to provide the necessary resources and laws to reform the immigration system. Paula Díaz, Voice of America, Arizona.