Number of illegal border crossings from Mexico to the US falls to four-year low

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released new data on August 16 showing that there were 56,408 illegal border crossings at the US-Mexico border in July, down 32% from June and down 57% from July 2023. This is also the fifth consecutive month of decline, according to The Washington Post .

Apprehensions of illegal border crossers have remained at an average of more than 2 million per year for the first three years of President Joe Biden’s term. In December 2023, US officials counted 249,740, a record month to date. However, since then, monthly border crossings have dropped 77%.

Barbed wire fence at the US-Mexico border on August 14

The White House welcomed the new figures, saying they showed the administration's policies were working.

The figures come as immigration remains a central issue in the US presidential election in November.

Republicans have sought to blame Vice President Kamala Harris for record-high border arrests during the Biden administration.

Meanwhile, Ms. Harris criticized former President Donald Trump, her upcoming election opponent, as well as the Republican Party for not cooperating on a bill to invest billions of dollars in law enforcement at the border.

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Border officials credit the new results to President Biden’s executive actions this spring aimed at making it harder for illegal immigrants to seek asylum in the United States. Mexican authorities have also tightened controls this year, apprehending a record number of migrants trying to cross the country to reach the U.S. border.

"The numbers have definitely gone down significantly. There's more than one reason for that. There are a number of different things that we've done and others have done," US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told USA Today .

He outlined measures that include opening new legal pathways for immigrants to the United States in an orderly manner, applying measures to deal with illegal border crossers, tightening asylum applications, and diplomatic contacts with Mexico, Guatemala, Panama and Colombia to strengthen border management and humanitarian assistance programs.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/so-nguoi-vuot-bien-lau-tu-mexico-sang-my-xuong-muc-thap-nhat-trong-4-nam-185240817104539897.htm