Border sees fewer than 4,000 illegal crossings, sources say
- Texas officials anticipated up to 13,000 illegal crossings per day post-Title 42
- Sources: Not a single one of the nine sectors had 1,000 illegal crossings
- Migrant shelters and processing centers remain overcrowded in border cities
EL PASO, TEXAS – MAY 13: Honduran migrants walk along the U.S. side of the Rio Grande and past an emptied-out migrant camp after crossing over from Mexico on May 13, 2023 to El Paso, Texas. After a big surge the week before, the number of new arrivals has dropped since the end of the U.S. Title 42 immigration policy. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
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EL PASO, Texas (NewsNation) — Despite an anticipated migrant surge at the southern border, Border Patrol sources confirmed to NewsNation that there were fewer than 4,000 illegal crossings on Monday, saying not a single one of the nine sectors along the border had 1,000 illegal crossings.
These numbers contrast starkly with what officials had anticipated ahead of the expiration of Title 42, the pandemic-era policy that allowed for the swift expulsion of immigrants without allowing them to seek asylum.
Since then, the U.S. has relied heavily on Title 8 to address migrant crossings at the southern border, and so far, apprehensions have fallen from last week’s surge.
Under Title 8, migrants can once again apply for legal pathways to enter the U.S., but it can also lead to deportation. Unlike Title 42, deportation under Title 8 usually means an individual is banned for five years from entering the U.S.
Over the weekend, Border Patrol agents recorded 14,752 apprehensions — a 45% drop from the same time period a week earlier — according to U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.
“We attribute that reduction in encounters to the new consequences that are in place at the border under Title 8 processing,” Blas Nuñez-Neto, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security, told NewsNation.
The number of suspected “gotaways” was also down, falling to 4,316 over the weekend from 7,399 a week earlier. The drop in apprehensions was a sign that the predicted post-Title 42 migrant surge has yet to come to pass.
In Texas, officials anticipated up to 13,000 illegal crossings per day, but the opposite has happened.
However, migrant shelters and processing centers in border cities have reportedly remained overcrowded.
The ability of the U.S. Border Patrol to hold migrants has been a key concern as more migrants came to the border in the days leading up to the end of Title 42. The Biden administration is facing a lawsuit aimed at curtailing its ability to release migrants from custody even when facilities are over capacity.
And while Border Patrol sources said it’s good to see the numbers down, it’s not time to signal victory. This has happened before — in 2019, when the threat of consequences stunted the numbers temporarily. But to have a long-term impact, the federal government is going to have to back up its words with actions.
Robert Sherman and Ali Bradley contributed to this report.
