Border Arrests See Slight Uptick in August Following 5-Month Decline

Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico are expected to rise slightly in August, reversing a five-month decline. Authorities reported approximately 54,000 arrests through last Thursday, projecting the total to reach around 58,000. The surge follows heightened Mexican enforcement and temporary asylum processing suspensions by President Joe Biden.

Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico during August are projected to increase slightly from July, according to officials, likely ending a five-month trend of declines.

Officials reported approximately 54,000 arrests through Thursday, estimating the total to reach around 58,000 by month-end. The uptick suggests a potential plateau after a steep drop from a December record of 250,000 arrests, attributed to increased enforcement by Mexican authorities and temporary asylum processing suspensions enacted by President Joe Biden in June. In July, arrests fell to 56,408, a 46-month low.

In response to the latest figures, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urged Congress to back unsuccessful legislation that would reshape the asylum process to alleviate court backlogs and enhance Border Patrol staffing. The legislation faced opposition from Republicans, including presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Mayorkas credited the Biden administration's actions and international partnerships for the reduced border encounters. Despite the drop, over 765,000 individuals entered the U.S. legally by July via an online appointment system, with an additional 520,000 from four nationalities entering through airports under a financial sponsorship program, which faced brief suspension in July due to fraud concerns.

San Diego recorded the highest arrests among the nine border sectors in August, followed by El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona. The nationality breakdown revealed fewer arrests of Colombians and Ecuadoreans, linked to deportation flights, with Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras leading in numbers.

(With inputs from agencies.)