Illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen to their lowest level in four years, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In November, 46,610 people were stopped between ports of entry.
The number of illegal crossings this month fell 18% compared to the previous month and was the lowest level since July 2020, the agency said.
“Our increased enforcement efforts, combined with executive actions and coordination with Mexico and Central American countries over the past few months, are having a lasting and significant impact,” said Troy A. Miller, the acting director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Department of Homeland Security deported more than 240,000 people between June and November, according to the agency. The department also deported more than 700,000 people from the country in fiscal year 2024, more than in any year since 2010.
The numbers represent something of a turnaround for the Biden administration, which has for a time faced intense political backlash Increase in illegality Intersections earlier in Biden's term. Trump criticized Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the increases.
Immigration experts attribute the decline in border crossings – people have stopped crossing in areas between ports of entry – to several factors, including the current administration's “carrot and stick” approach.
Under the Biden administration, officials have encouraged migrants to report to ports of entry and launched an app that allows them to schedule appointments as they travel through Mexico. It has also prevented illegal entries between ports of entry by barring those who attempt to enter the country in this way from being eligible for asylum.
The sharp decline comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in, bringing with him an administration that has made cracking down on illegal immigration one of its top priorities. During his campaign, Trump and his top advisers described the southern border as out of control and under control “Invasion,” and promised mass deportations.
In a Time interview, Trump promised to mobilize the military to help deport millions of illegal immigrants.
“People are coming on a scale and in record numbers that we have never seen before.” said Trump. “I will do what the law allows. And I think in many cases the sheriffs and law enforcement are going to need help. We also get the National Guard. We’ll get the National Guard and go as far as I’m allowed to go.”
However, the latest border crossing figures paint a slightly different picture.
Border Patrol agents on the ground have reported a decline in the number of border crossings over the past seven months, with a 60% drop between May and November, according to the agency.
Department of Homeland Security officials also said the number of people sentenced for deportation has doubled in recent months.
The CBP One app allows migrants traveling through Mexico to make appointments at ports of entry, preventing them from having to enter the country through deserts in between to avoid U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, said Migration spokeswoman Michelle Mittelstadt Policy Institute.
The administration also issued an order barring those who cross the border illegally from seeking asylum and encouraged the governments of Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica to strengthen migration controls in their counties.
“November marked the first time ever that most encounters involved migrants arriving at a port of entry, rather than them being intercepted after crossing the border illegally – evidence of this carrot-and-stick approach approach had an effect,” said Mittelstadt.
Despite the decline in border crossings, the new Trump administration has continued to promise an aggressive approach to deportations, and some have threatened sanctuary cities and states with consequences if they stand in their way.
Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration and appointed “border czar” for the second, has demanded increased workplace raids.
He told Fox News that cities that refuse to help federal immigration authorities could face criminal prosecution.
“If you knowingly hide or harbor an illegal immigrant from a police officer, that is a crime,” he said.
Marisa Cianciarulo, dean of Western State College of Law in Irvine and an expert in immigration and refugee law, said memories of family separations and detentions during the first Trump administration as well as recent threats of mass deportations could also play a temporary role in discouraging migrants.
“I think we’re seeing a bit of a pre-emptive response to the new administration,” she said. “There is fear and anxiety and they will look for other ways to support their families.”
Trump's incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, also sent letters to a number of California officials, cities and counties warning them of possible consequences if they interfered with immigration enforcement.
In September, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) and other members of the House Judiciary Committee held a meeting Onsite hearing in San Diego County on the border crisis and invited mayors of Santee and Chula Vista, police officers and residents to testify.
In his opening statement, Issa, whose district includes much of San Diego County, said that while there are people who are legally seeking asylum and have worked toward legal entry, there are millions who have entered the country illegally.
“Our goal is to restore the rule of law and recognize that we can have legal immigration in our country, but only if we can control the border,” he said.
Issa could not immediately be reached for comment.
At the hearing, Santee Mayor John Minto said the Biden-Harris administration's approach to border security and immigration affects not only the state but also San Diego County, which is at the heart of the issue. He said San Diego County received up to 154,000 street-released migrants between September 2023 and May 2024, many of whom were placed in transport trucks and sent to the county's eastern region.
“These unofficial figures underscore the unprecedented and serious scale of the border crisis in the region,” he said. “The influx of migrants has depleted local resources, including overcrowding local hospitals, prompting San Diego County officials to respond with a coordinated effort that includes federal, state and local support.”
Minto could not immediately be reached for comment.
Earlier this month, San Diego County adopted a new policy that would prevent correctional officers from cooperating with immigration officials in any way.
The policy went beyond current state law, which allows local jurisdictions to notify immigration officials when someone convicted of certain violent or sexual crimes is about to be released from prison. Under the new policy, San Diego would not provide federal officials with release dates.
The policy has led to a standoff between county supervisors and the San Diego County sheriff, who said they will continue to cooperate with federal immigration officials if state law allows.
Officials in California are anticipating a conflict with the new administration. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has called Miller's America First Legal letters “scaremongering.” Bonta said the state is preparing for legal challenges.
However, Cianciarulo warns that punitive measures against migrants tend to have only a temporary impact. As economic and political factors drive people from their home countries and they are lured by the prospect of work in the United States, migrants will eventually take the risk.
“No matter how strict the laws are, how punitive, we still come back to the fact that immigration is an economic reality,” Cianciarulo said. “(Migration) is not an emotional decision.”