Border Numbers Drop Below 100,000 for First Time in Months

WASHINGTON—The number of migrants encountered by U.S. authorities at the southern border has dropped below 100,000 for the first time in five months amid increased collaboration with Mexico and Guatemala to crack down on the flow, according to government data released on Aug. 8.

Border Patrol agents apprehend seven illegal immigrants from China, one from Mexico, and one from El Salvador after they tried to evade capture after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States near McAllen, Texas, on April 18, 2019. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—The number of migrants encountered by U.S. authorities at the southern border has dropped below 100,000 for the first time in five months amid increased collaboration with Mexico and Guatemala to crack down on the flow, according to government data released on Thursday, Aug. 8.

In July, there were 82,049 people encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), down 21 percent from June when there were 104,344 people and down 43 percent from May. The number of family units and unaccompanied minors crossing the border also dropped.