Record drop in US border crossings after Trump tightens immigration

According to leaked data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), only about 359 people were apprehended each day this February, down more than 90% from the same period last year.

If this trend continues, the number of illegal immigrants entering the US could reach its lowest level since 1968. Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said that this is a record low in nearly a century.

Meanwhile, John Gramlich from the Pew Research Center said the current number of border crossings is 10 times lower than this time last year, when an average of 4,850 people were apprehended each day.

In Texas, Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland expressed surprise at the sharp decline in border crossings compared to previous years. Meanwhile, San Diego, California, remains the area with the highest number of border crossings, with 934 cases this month.

The Trump administration has rolled out a series of tough measures, including closing the border with Mexico, ending President Joe Biden’s “catch and release” policy, sending thousands of additional troops to the border and stepping up deportation operations across the country. A Border Patrol source said the message was clear: the US border would no longer be easily breached.

Under pressure from Mr. Trump, Mexico pledged to deploy 10,000 troops to the border after the US threatened to impose a 25% tariff on imports. At the same time, within the first 18 days of his new term, Mr. Trump’s administration arrested 11,000 illegal immigrants across the US.

In addition, Mr. Trump has ordered the transfer of illegal immigrants to Guantanamo Bay and many other countries. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks asserted that the US Border Patrol only needs a president who can delegate authority and a strong Secretary of the Interior to complete the task of protecting the border.

Ngoc Anh (according to NYP, Reuters)