By Steve Neavling
After migrant crossings hit record numbers last year, federal authorities say encounters significantly dropped in January.
Arrests for illegal crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico dropped by half last month, the Associated Press reports.
The most significant decline came in the Del Rio sector that includes Eagle Pass, Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbot has stepped up border enforcement.
Mexico also intensified enforcement efforts following talks with President Biden’s administration.
In January, arrests declined by 50% from 249,735 in December, the highest monthly number on record.
The busiest sector for illegal crossings was Tucscon, Ariz., where 50,565 arrests were made, a 37% decline from December. At the Del Rio sector, arrests fell 76% from December to 16,712, the lowest since December 2021.
Notably, the number of Venezuelans arrests declined by 91%, from 46,920 to 4,422.
It’s too early to tell whether the decline is part of a larger trend or just a momentary drop.
