WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) —
The number of arrests for illegal border crossings fell by more than 40% during the three weeks that the asylum procedure was running. has been suspendedThe Department of Homeland Security said this on Wednesday.
The average number of daily Border Patrol apprehensions over a seven-day period has fallen below 2,400, down more than 40% from before President Joe Biden’s June 5 proclamation took effect. That’s still above the 1,500 needed to resume the asylum process, but Homeland Security says it’s the lowest number since Jan. 17, 2021, less than a week before Biden took office.
Last week, Biden said border arrests had dropped 25% since his order went into effect, indicating they have fallen much more since then.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was scheduled to address reporters Wednesday in Tucson, Arizona, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for much of the past year. U.S. authorities say the seven-day daily average of apprehensions in the Tucson Border Patrol sector was just under 600 on Tuesday, compared to just under 1,200 on June 2.
Under the suspension, which will take effect when daily arrests exceed 2,500, anyone who expresses fear or intent to seek asylum will be screened by a U.S. asylum officer, but at a higher level than currently used. If they pass the screening, they can pursue more limited forms of humanitarian protection, including the UN Convention against Torture.
Interest groups have filed a lawsuit the government to block the measure.