The number of people illegally crossing the border from Mexico into the United States has fallen to its lowest level in four years.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released new data on August 16 showing that there were 56,408 illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border in July, down 32% from June and down 57% from July 2023. This also marks the fifth consecutive month of decline, according to The Washington Post .

Arrests of illegal immigrants averaged over 2 million cases per year during the first three years of President Joe Biden's term. In December 2023, US officials recorded 249,740 cases, a record monthly figure. However, since then, the monthly number of border crossings has decreased by 77%.

Barbed wire fence at the US-Mexico border on August 14.

The White House expressed pleasure at the new figures, saying they showed the administration's policies were working.

The figures were released as immigration remains a central theme in the US presidential election this November.

Republicans have sought to hold Vice President Kamala Harris accountable for the record-high number of illegal border crossing arrests during the Biden administration.

Meanwhile, Harris has criticized former President Donald Trump, her upcoming presidential opponent, as well as the Republican Party for not cooperating on a bill that would invest billions of dollars in border law enforcement.

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Border officials attribute the new results to changes in President Biden's executive decisions this spring aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. Mexican authorities have also tightened controls this year, arresting a record number of migrants attempting to cross the border into the U.S.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told USA Today : "The numbers have indeed decreased significantly. There's more to that than one reason. There are many different measures that we and others have taken."

He clarified that the measures included opening new, orderly legal pathways for immigrants to the U.S., implementing measures to deal with illegal border crossings, tightening asylum procedures, and engaging in diplomatic contacts with Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, and Colombia to encourage these countries to strengthen border management and humanitarian aid programs.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/so-nguoi-vuot-bien-lau-tu-mexico-sang-my-xuong-muc-thap-nhat-trong-4-nam-185240817104539897.htm