Homeland Security says border arrests are down more than 40% since Biden suspended asylum processing

WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) –

Arrests for illegal border crossings fell more than 40% during the three weeks that asylum processing was suspendedthe Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

The Border Patrol’s average daily arrests over a 7-day period fell below 2,400, a drop of more than 40% from before President Joe Biden’s proclamation took effect on June 5. That’s still above the 1,500 mark needed to resume asylum processing, but Homeland Security says it’s the lowest number since Jan. 17, 2021, less than a week before Biden took office.

Last week, Biden said border arrests have dropped 25% since his order took effect, indicating they have declined much more since then.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was scheduled to speak to reporters Wednesday in Tucson, Arizona, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for much of last year. U.S. authorities say the seven-day average of daily arrests in the Border Patrol’s Tucson sector was just under 600 on Tuesday, down from just under 1,200 on June 2.

Under the suspension, which takes effect when daily arrests exceed 2,500 people, anyone who expresses fear or intent to seek asylum is screened by a U.S. asylum officer, but to a higher standard than currently used. If they pass the screening, they can seek more limited forms of humanitarian protection, including the United Nations Convention against Torture.

Advocacy groups sued the administration to block the measure.