Border encounters drop 25 percent after Biden asylum restrictions announcement

Border officials are reporting significantly lower numbers of migrant encounters between ports of entry on the Southwest border, weeks after the Biden administration announced an asylum crackdown.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Thursday that preliminary data since the announcement shows a 25 percent decrease in such encounters, but warned that “migration flows are dynamic.”

“Our enforcement efforts continue to reduce encounters at the Southwest border. But the fact remains that our immigration system does not have the resources for what we are seeing,” said Troy Miller, acting CBP commissioner.

“The dedicated men and women of CBP will continue to prioritize national security and dismantle criminal networks while maximizing the consequences of illegal entry, including detention, prosecution and removal under recently announced executive actions to further protect the border.”

If the decline continues, it could be a political boost for President Biden – for years, Republicans have relentlessly attacked the president over his management of the border.

Official CBP data from before the asylum crackdown shows that encounters have stagnated since January at levels similar to or slightly below the late winter and spring averages during the Biden administration.

Temporary dips in migration are not uncommon after major border policy announcements.

For example, encounters with the Border Patrol fell 40 percent between May and June 2023, after the Biden administration ended the pandemic-inspired summary expulsion policy known as Title 42.

Most border experts associate these temporary declines with a wait-and-see approach by migrants and smugglers, who hold back certain crossings while new U.S. policies are tested.

Under Biden’s asylum rule, most migrants encountered between ports of entry are not screened for asylum claims and could be subject to rapid expulsion to Mexico, expedited deportation proceedings to their home country and criminal and administrative consequences.

The asylum rule does not apply to migrants who enter the United States at ports of entry through established programs, such as appointments on the CBP One app.