- Border crossings in February are on pace to be the lowest in at least 25 years. If the trend continues, they could hit a 60-year low.
- Leaked Customs and Border Protection data shows a 90% decrease in daily migrant crossings compared to last year, coinciding with significant policy changes under the Trump administration.
- Trump’s border policies include increased enforcement, deportations and international cooperation.
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Border crossings this month are on track to be the lowest in at least 25 years. If the trend continues, migrant crossings could reach a 60-year low.
Leaked CBP data reveals significant drop
The New York Post obtained leaked Customs and Border Protection data on illegal border crossings. According to the numbers from Feb. 1 to Feb. 11, an average of 359 migrants were caught crossing the southern border each day.
For comparison, the daily average during the same period last year was 4,850 migrants, a 90% decrease.
Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, told the Post that this is the lowest the U.S. has seen in almost a lifetime, suggesting that if numbers remain at this level, border crossings could hit lows not recorded since 1968.
“If you kind of break down the numbers, divide them by 365, we haven’t had numbers this low since the 1960s. So we’re talking 60-year lows if it’s sustained, obviously.”
Mark Krikorian
Impact of policy changes
Border crossing numbers have declined from record highs under the Biden administration since June 2023, when former President Joe Biden signed executive action limiting the number of asylum requests permitted monthly.
However, the decrease became dramatic after President Donald Trump won the election. November saw the lowest levels in four years, with even lower numbers following his inauguration.
Immigration was one of Trump’s top campaign issues and a priority for the new administration. Executive actions and new border security policies were implemented in Trump’s first few days in office.
A national emergency was declared, Biden-era policies like catch-and-release were rescinded and thousands of U.S. service members and military equipment were deployed to the southern border.
Under Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, CBP agents have arrested more than 11,000 undocumented migrants in the first 18 days of the administration, with deportation flights also underway.
Trump’s tariff strategies against Mexico and Canada have led both countries to commit to increasing resources to deter illegal crossings and drug smuggling.
Looking ahead
The leaked CBP data covers only the period from Feb. 1 to Feb. 11, but if current rates hold over the next two weeks, the Trump administration will likely tout the data as an early success.
