Nearly 2.5 million immigrants apprehended at the border so far this fiscal year

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that 2,493,723 illegal immigrants were apprehended in the current fiscal year: from last October through August. 2,150,244 of them were apprehended at the southern border. The large number of people fleeing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba are driving a new wave of immigration, CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said in a statement.

The number of detainees in August 2022 was 157,921, an increase of 2.2% compared to the previous month. The main reason for this increase in a single month is the number of asylum seekers fleeing authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. 55,333 of the total number of arrests were from these 3 countries. They account for a third of the total (35%), an increase of 175% over the previous year.

Mexican presence on the border decreasing

Detentions of immigrants from Mexico and northern Central America declined for the third consecutive month, accounting for only 36% of encounters. This represents a 43% decrease in the presence of these countries compared to August 2021.

Recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection activity related to the U.S.-Mexico border includes arrests of sex offenders, gang members, and drug seizures.

Moreover, for this fiscal year, repatriations and removals total 1,300,467, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).