WASHINGTON — The number of arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico rose slightly in August, authorities said Monday, ending a five-month streak of declines and suggesting the flow of arrests may be leveling off.
The Border Patrol made 58,038 arrests at the Mexico border during the month, hovering near four-year lows but up 2.9% from 56,399 in July, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The total was in line with preliminary estimates.
Troy Miller, acting commissioner of the CBP, said the restrictions put in place in June suspend asylum When illegal border crossings reached certain thresholds, the government demonstrated that it would “impose strict consequences for illegal entry.”
A decrease from the record 250,000 arrests in December, partly due to more enforcement by Mexican authorities within their borders is good news for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who are fending off accusations from Republicans that they have let the border get out of hand.
“The Biden-Harris administration has taken effective action, and Republican officials continue to do nothing,” said White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández.
Many Republicans have criticized Biden for the new and expanded options for legal entry, calling them a “game” to crack down on illegal border crossings.
About 44,700 people legally entered the country from Mexico in August by making online appointments through an app called CBP One. The total has reached about 813,000 since the app was launched in January 2023. In addition, nearly 530,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela entered the country legally through airports by applying online with a financial sponsor.
San Diego was again the busiest corridor for illegal border crossings, followed by El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona.