Border arrests plunge 29% in June to lowest of Biden’s presidency

SAN DIEGO — Arrests for illegally crossing the border into Mexico fell 29% in June, the lowest month of arrests during Joe Biden’s presidency, according to figures released Monday. The figures provide fresh insight into the impact of a new rule temporarily suspending asylum.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a total of 83,536 people were arrested in June, down from 117,901 arrests in May and the lowest number since January 2021.

The seven-day average of daily arrests fell by more than half in late June compared to Biden’s June 4 announcement that the asylum process would be halted if the number of daily arrests reached 2,500. That happened immediately, said Troy Miller, acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.

“Recent border security actions have had a meaningful impact on our ability to impose sanctions on those who cross the border illegally,” Miller said.

Arrests had already fallen by more than half from December’s record 250,000, largely due to increased enforcement by Mexican authoritiesaccording to US officials.

Sharp declines were recorded across nationalities, including Mexicans, those most affected by the suspension of asylum, and Chinese peoplewho typically fly to Ecuador and travel overland to the US border.

San Diego was the busiest of the nine Border Patrol sectors bordering Mexico, based on the number of arrests, Tucson, Arizona, followed.

More than 41,000 people entered legally in June through an online appointment app called CBP One. The agency said 680,500 people have successfully booked appointments since the app launched in January 2023.

Nearly 500,000 people from four countries signed a policy of allowing two-year stays on the condition that they have financial sponsors and arrive at an airport. That includes 104,130 Cubans, 194,027 Haitians, 86,101 Nicaraguans and 110,541 Venezuelans, CBP said.