US reports record-low border apprehensions

Washington: The Trump administration announced what it described as the lowest annual border apprehensions in US history, reporting fewer than 99,000 arrests along the southwest border during fiscal year 2026 and claiming a sharp decline in unlawful crossings.

The Department of Homeland Security said preliminary figures from Customs and Border Protection showed 98,708 southwest border apprehensions during the fiscal year ending September 30.

According to the department, the figure represented a 95 per cent decline compared with annual apprehensions averaging more than 1.8 million during the Biden administration.

The department also reported 379,243 nationwide encounters during fiscal 2026, describing that figure as the lowest in the agency's history.

These are preliminary administration figures. The historical rankings and comparisons require examination of the underlying Customs and Border Protection data and the definitions used for different categories of encounters.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited the administration's enforcement policies for the decline.

"President Trump promised the American people a secure border, and the data proves he delivered," Mullin said.

He argued that stronger enforcement had reduced unlawful crossings and improved border security.

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott similarly credited frontline personnel and interagency cooperation.

The department said fiscal 2026 was the first year in which the Border Patrol recorded no releases of apprehended migrants at the border.

It also reported that September marked the seventeenth consecutive month without such releases.

The claim refers to Border Patrol release practices and should not be interpreted as meaning that no migrants entered the United States or that all categories of immigration processing ceased.

The department also reported an approximately 80 per cent decline in migrant deaths identified by Border Patrol personnel compared with the previous administration.

That comparison was presented without a complete historical dataset in the press release.

Beyond immigration enforcement, DHS reported substantial activity involving drug seizures, border infrastructure and trade enforcement.

According to the department, CBP seized nearly one million pounds of drugs during fiscal 2026, approximately 63 per cent above the annual average for the preceding four years.

The agency also reported completing 250 miles of new border barriers since January 20, 2025, including primary and secondary barriers and associated infrastructure.

In trade enforcement, CBP said it stopped more than 4,000 shipments valued at over $325 million because of suspected forced-labour concerns.

The agency also reported seizures of counterfeit merchandise valued at more than $12.6 billion.

The administration described the figures as evidence of stronger border enforcement, although the statistics cover several different operational activities and should be evaluated separately.

The United States has experienced major changes in migration patterns and border enforcement policies in recent years, with immigration remaining a central issue in national political debate.

The southwest border with Mexico is the principal focus of federal efforts to deter unauthorised land crossings. Changes in enforcement, asylum processing and removal procedures can affect both the number of encounters recorded and the treatment of migrants after apprehension.

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