There was a 40 percent drop in the number of border apprehensions last year compared to 2016, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday, The Hill reported.
The Border Patrol caught 351,084 people who tried to illegally cross this past year, compared to 614,739 in 2016.
Border apprehension figures are used as the best indicator for the number of illegal crossing attempts.
In a statement the DHS touted the numbers, saying the statistics, particularly at the southern border, "undeniably prove the effectiveness of President Trump's commitment to securing our borders" compared to the Obama's presidency and emphasized the apprehensions "were at the lowest level in 45 years."
In recent months, however, the number of apprehensions has shown an increase, and the 40,513 caught in December were the highest total since Trump's first full month in office, although still far under the 58,412 detentions in December of 2016.
The DHS statement emphasized that "the significant increase over the last month in the number of family units and unaccompanied children coming across the border illegally highlights the dire need for Congress to immediately adopt responsible pro-American immigration reforms."
The statement added that, "Current loopholes in our immigration laws have created an incentive for illegal immigrants who knowingly exploit these same loopholes to take advantage of our generosity. The Secretary will require fixes to these loopholes as part of any immigration package negotiated today at the White House."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.