The number of migrants taken into custody along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Southwest dropped by nearly 96 percent last week compared to the average number recorded in February 2024. Data from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) indicates that apprehensions across the five Texas-based border sectors plummeted by almost 89 percent compared to figures from the same period last year.
Lt. Chris Olivarez, spokesperson for the Texas DPS, shared a series of updates detailing the number of migrant apprehensions recorded daily in each of the five Texas border sectors during the seven-day span ending February 9. The El Paso Sector, which covers the westernmost part of Texas and the border with New Mexico, recorded the highest number of migrant arrests, with 612 individuals caught crossing illegally from Mexico.
A video released by the White House on X highlighted the early achievements of the Trump administration, showcasing significant declines in illegal border crossings. The footage states that there has been an 89 percent drop in encounters with illegal aliens. However, it remains unclear what specific data was used in this comparison and whether the numbers reflect only the southern border or include figures from the northern border as well.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector saw the second-highest number of migrant apprehensions for the week, totaling 392. The Del Rio Sector followed with 236, while the Laredo and Big Bend Sectors reported 169 and 52 apprehensions, respectively.
In total, law enforcement officials took 1,461 migrants into custody in the Texas-based border sectors during the week, marking an 89 percent reduction compared to last year’s average. Along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, 2,615 migrants were apprehended, a stark decrease to just 374 daily encounters, representing a 96 percent drop.
To provide context, Breitbart obtained figures from the CBP Nationwide Encounters report for February 2024 and calculated an average of 5,023 daily apprehensions along the entire southwestern border. Of those, approximately 1,909 per day occurred within the five Texas-based border sectors.
The dramatic decline in migrant apprehensions can largely be attributed to the Trump administration’s stringent border enforcement policies, as well as new measures recently put in place by the Mexican government.
{Matzav.com}