Immigrant arrests at the southern border dropped 96% in January and February

Immigrant arrests at the southern border plummeted in the first months of the year. There was a 96% drop in the number of arrests of people attempting to cross illegally from Mexico into the United States in January and February.

These figures from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were reported by EFE and repeated by other media outlets such as France 24. According to the same source, the first two months of the year had the lowest level of arrests since 2021. There was an average of 1,200 at the beginning of January and in February the number dropped to 46.

Despite this notable drop in the first two months of the year, between October and February, border authorities apprehended more than one million people. The head of Border Patrol admitted that the country has no control over the border.

Humanitarian permits

55,000 Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans benefited between October and the end of March from Joe Biden's humanitarian permit program, according to the same DHS source. Also, 40,000 Venezuelans received permission to travel during that period.

The same sources reported that thousands of immigrants are already in the United States thanks to this program. More than 70,500 immigrants came to the United States in five months: 32,000 Venezuelans, 7,500 Nicaraguans, 18,000 Haitians and 15,000 Cubans.