Border Patrol Apprehensions of Illegal Immigrants Rise in August: CBP

Apprehensions of illegal immigrants at the U.S. southern border rose to 107,503 in August, up from 104,101 in July, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
CBP’s Office of Field Operations recorded 49,465 apprehensions in August, up from 47,702 in July.
Apprehensions of illegal immigrants at the southwest border hit an all-time high of 301,982 in December last year.
CBP said that since the IFR went into effect on June 5, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed or returned more than 131,000 individuals to more than 140 countries as of Sept. 10. Those figures include more than 400 international repatriation flights.
Troy Miller, a CBP senior official performing the duties of the commissioner, said the IRF has led to a decrease in the number of people released into the United States pending their removal proceedings.
“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,” Miller said. “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.”
White House Spokesperson Angelo Hernández said the number of illegal border crossings has dropped to its lowest level in many years.
“The data published today by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that since President Biden announced new, decisive executive actions to secure the border on June 4, encounters between ports of entry have dropped significantly and remain at their lowest level in years,” he said.
“Encounters in August 2024 were 68 percent lower than August 2023 and have decreased by more than 50 percent since President Biden announced the executive actions.”