Staff Reports
In January, the number of migrants caught crossing the Southwest border with Mexico dropped by more than 50 percent from the December record breaking numbers. This reduction came after President Joe Biden’s approval ratings plummeted due to his handling of immigration and border security. The Mexican president had a sit-down with two top members of the Biden administration and then took some action, which resulted in a decrease of more than 125,000 migrant apprehensions in January.
Election-Year Cleanup: Biden Admin‘s Secret Border Deal with Mexico Delays Onslaught of Migrant Crossings — 50 Percent Drop in Jan. https://t.co/j8ggydHnhT
— Trump2024_no_matter_what (@TexasTrump2024) February 7, 2024
Border Patrol agents nabbed just over 124,000 migrants who illegally crossed the border in January, a significant drop from the 249,785 migrants caught in December. Since the fiscal year began on October 1, agents along the southwest border have encountered nearly 754,000 migrants. This is running more than a third over last year’s already massive amounts.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials chalked the drop in migrant apprehensions up to “historical trends and enhanced enforcement.” But what they conveniently leave out is that Mexico started rounding up migrants along its northern border and moving them to central and southern Mexico after a meeting with top Biden administration officials in December. The Mexican president insinuated that he would slow migrant crossings into the U.S. if President Joe Biden gave more aid and backing to Latin American dictators. According to reports, the Mexican president was looking for increased support for Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
Following the meeting, the White House stated that both countries were committed to managing migration in an orderly and humane way and would work on addressing the root causes of migration, such as poverty, inequality, and violence. Neither delegation disclosed whether any agreements had been made with Mexico to stifle migrant flows coming into the U.S.
Despite the success of Mexico’s efforts causing a dramatic drop in border crossings, one U.S. Customs and Border Protection source warned that this action would only delay the migrants from reaching the U.S. border. Another congressman highlighted that the Biden administration might not reveal the specifics of the agreement with Mexico.
Migrant apprehensions in sectors like Del Rio, Rio Grande Valley, El Paso, Tucson, and San Diego all experienced significant drops from December to January, but there were signs of a slight uptick in February. In the Tucson Sector alone, migrant apprehensions for the past week surged to 13,800, up from 11,300 the previous week.
It’s clear that the Mexican government’s actions played a crucial role in the decline of border crossings, much to the chagrin of the Biden administration. Only time will tell if this drop in apprehensions will have any lasting impact or if it’s just a temporary setback for those attempting to enter the U.S. illegally.
