The Biden administration tallied more than 2.9 million illegal entries into the U.S. over the last year, marking a slight improvement on 2023’s record, though things were trending better in recent months.
The Border Patrol also recorded 106 apprehensions of illegal immigrants whose identities were flagged by the terrorism watchlist — also the second-worst year on record, behind 2023.
Overall, Border Patrol agents recorded nearly 1.6 million arrests, a drop compared to the previous year. Customs and Border Protection officers nabbed more than 1.3 million others, which is by far the highest year on record.
Those shifts were intentional as President Biden has used legally iffy “parole” powers to try to force illegal immigrants to stop jumping the border and instead pre-schedule their arrivals, with the promise of catch-and-release if they do.
Mr. Biden has also adopted get-tough policies reminiscent of former President Donald Trump for those who refuse to schedule their arrivals through parole programs.
The result has been a significant drop in Border Patrol activity, with arrests dropping more than four-fold in September compared to last December’s peak.
“Encounters between ports of entry are lower than they were during the last several months of the previous administration,” said Angelo Fernandez Hernandez, a White House spokesperson.
Troy Miller, acting head of CBP, said his agency “significantly increased its enforcement efforts” over the last year, which led to the big improvements in recent months. He said that included targeting human smuggling and drug-trafficking operations.
But Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said a bigger factor was Mexico’s decision to step up its own enforcement efforts, preventing many would-be migrants from ever reaching the U.S. border.
“In other words, the Biden-Harris administration essentially outsourced U.S. border security to Mexico in advance of the 2024 election — policies that can be reversed at any time that the government of Mexico chooses,” he said.
He said migrants are waiting for the new year and a potential change in policies to make the journey.
And even as the southern border improved, the northern border deteriorated.
The Border Patrol made nearly 24,000 arrests along the U.S.-Canada boundary in 2024, more than double last year 10 times the number in 2020, the last full fiscal year under Mr. Trump.
The last year saw other worrying trends nationwide.
The Border Patrol recorded about 17,000 arrests of criminals trying to sneak into the U.S., up from about 15,000 in 2023 and about 2,500 in 2020.
Arrests of identified gang members dipped from 639 to 523, though those numbers likely dramatically understate the actual flow of gang members.
CBP also set a record for seizing and searching travelers’ electronic devices at the ports of entry, with more than 46,000 over the last year.
The improvements at the southern border have done little to defang immigration as an issue in this year’s election. In part, that’s because so much illegal immigration is already baked into the equation, with estimates showing at least 4 million new illegal immigrants have settled in the U.S. since Mr. Biden took office.
Mr. Trump says they are responsible for a crime wave.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, points to the improving numbers and says the administration has done what it can. She has said any more action to stiffen border security would require Congress.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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