Aug 8, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Number of attempted border crossings drops below 100K

Stef W. Kight

A border patrol officer checks a migrant's arm which is in a cast. — Border Patrol checks the arm of an immigrant from Guatemala. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

In July, the number of migrants arrested or turned away at the southwest border fell below 100,000 — to 82,049– for the first time in 5 months, according to new Homeland Security data.

The big picture: The significant drop in border activity comes as Mexico has cracked down on immigration enforcement following President Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods. Guatemala also recently signed a “safe third country“ agreement, which will force more asylum seekers to pursue protection in Guatemala instead of the U.S.

By the numbers: There has been a 43% decrease in the number of migrants arrested or turned away at the border since May, but there were still more encounters than any other July since at least 2012.

Border patrol arrested more border crossers last month than during any other July since 2005, according to DHS data.

Context: Border activity typically falls during the heat of the summer, but the drop over the past 2 month has been sharper than most years in the past.

Editor's note: The headline has been changed to more accurately reflect that the number of migrants arrested or turned away at the border dropped below 100,000 for the first time in 5 months, not that it dropped for the first time in 5 months.

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Number of attempted border crossings drops below 100K

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