Photo: Alamy
U.S. border authorities recorded a 13th consecutive month without releasing any illegal border crossers into the country to pursue asylum claims, according to new Customs and Border Protection data obtained by Breitbart Texas.
The milestone comes as illegal crossings along the southern border continue to decline sharply. CBP reported 9,998 Border Patrol apprehensions between ports of entry in May, averaging 323 per day and marking the first time in more than 30 years that monthly apprehensions fell below 10,000.
According to the report, May’s total was 94 percent lower than the average monthly apprehension level during the Biden administration and 96 percent lower than peak levels during that period.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited the trend to President Donald Trump and the administration’s tougher border enforcement policies.
“Thirteen straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history,” Mullin said. “The days of catch and release are over.”
The administration has frequently contrasted its approach with policies under former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. CBP officials say the dramatic reduction in illegal crossings has allowed agents to redirect resources toward combating drug trafficking and other criminal activity.
The agency reported that combined seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana increased 32 percent in May compared to the same month a year earlier.
Fentanyl seizures rose from April levels, while marijuana seizures exceeded the fiscal 2024 monthly average by 61 percent. Overall narcotics seizures are running 56 percent higher than during the comparable period last year.
CBP says increased enforcement is putting financial pressure on drug cartels, including organizations designated by the administration as foreign terrorist organizations, while also helping reduce the flow of fentanyl into American communities.
Officials argue the decline in illegal crossings has enabled Border Patrol agents to return to their primary mission of securing the border rather than processing large numbers of migrants for release into the United States.
