Sharp Decline in Illegal Crossings at Texas Border: Where Have All the Migrants Gone?

Federal authorities in charge of Texas' border had some unusual news to report as the month of June came to a close.

Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Texas reported a total of 30,771 migrants apprehended between ports of entry--a sharp decline from 45,139 in May.

Not only does this amount to a 32% decrease in illegal crossings, it marks the lowest monthly apprehensions since January 2021.

What Worked?

Many have attributed the drop to the executive order from President Biden that suspended the entry of migrants into the states, which went into effect June 5. However, additional statistics show that the numbers were already in decline when the order was issued.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a policy director at the American Immigration Council, told the Texas Tribune that the decrease "suggests migrants have adopted a 'wait and see' approach in response to Biden's order, which accelerated a slowdown that began in January."

This year's apprehensions in Texas peaked in March at 54,172 and have dropped each month since.

Another contributing factor to the unexpected thinning of migrants is the Mexican government's help in the crisis. Efforts have been put in place by Mexico to prevent migrants from reaching the border itself.

What Didn't Work?

The one initiative that probably didn't even make a dent? Governor Greg Abbot's multibillion-dollar border mission, Operation Lone Star.

The initiative began in March 2021 with lofty aspirations of stymying illegal crossings, but proved to make a measurable impact due to the unpredictable nature of migration patterns.

 Texas Still Bears the Brunt

Apprehensions so far this year in Texas peaked in March at 54,172 and have dropped each month since.

But despite the decline, the the majority of these migrant encounters and apprehensions take place in Texas. A whopping 59% of migrant encounters in 2023 took place in the Lone Star State, and 43% in the year 2024 so far.