Border crossings along the Southwest Border of the United States saw a decline in July 2023 as compared to the same period in 2022.
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency confirmed that the crossings, particularly by Caribbean migrants among others, were noticeably lower.
Notably, encounters by the Border Patrol remained subdued compared to the months preceding the termination of the Title 42 public health order.
Most migrants arriving in destinations like New York hailed from countries including Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Guatemala.
Countering smugglers
The CBP emphasizes its commitment to curbing unauthorized border crossings.
Troy A Miller, the senior official holding the Commissioner’s responsibilities, highlighted that smuggling networks exploit vulnerable migrants with false information.
Concurrently, CBP personnel are tasked with not only preventing illegal crossings but also rescuing those endangered by deceitful smugglers.
This dual responsibility also extends to thwarting drug trafficking and efficiently managing the influx of summer travelers.
Current CBP procedures and policies
Migrants crossing the border without authorization fall under the purview of Title 8 immigration procedures.
They typically face either Expedited Removal or Section 240 Removal Proceedings.
The CBP also mentioned the ‘Circumvention of Lawful Pathways’ rule. Under this provision, those bypassing lawful immigration processes are generally deemed ineligible for asylum, though there are exceptions.
The CBP remains resolute that the border is not an open gateway for irregular migration.
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Statistical insights: A closer look
In a month-on-month comparison, July 2023 witnessed a total of 132,652 unauthorized border crossings – a 27 per cent reduction from the numbers recorded in July 2022 during the Title 42 mandate.
While the overall encounters saw an increase from June to July 2023, encounters involving single adults remained steady.
This steadiness underscores the CBP’s success in utilizing Expedited Removal after the Title 42’s conclusion, which initially prioritized single adults.
Further emphasizing this trend, the daily average encounters for single adults in July plummeted to 2,016 from a striking 6,164 during the initial eleven days of May.
In terms of the total encounters for July, the figure stood at 183,503, marking an 8 per cent decrease from July 2022.
CBP shared that over recent years it has been proactive in ramping up its capacity to assist individuals in perilous situations.
