Border arrests are little changed in December, ending Biden's term at lowest level
A U.S. official says arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico in December are little changed from a month earlier
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico in December are little changed from a month earlier, a U.S. official said Monday, hovering near the lowest levels since July 2020 and indicating that an anticipated surge ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as president hasn't happened.
There were about 44,000 arrests during December as of Monday morning, suggesting the month will end close to the 46,612 arrests made in November, according to a senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the count is preliminary and has not made public.
December will mark the sixth straight month that arrests for illegal crossings were less than the monthly average in 2019, the official said. It also signals that final full month of President Joe Biden’s presidency will be at or near the lowest during his four years in office.
Asked to comment on the latest numbers, the Homeland Security Department released a statement by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, that said “swift and effective implementation” of asylum restrictions in June resulted in another month below the 2019 average.
