Border agencies report 16 months without any releases at U.S.-Mexico crossing

The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that the United States has not released any migrants at the Mexican border for 16 consecutive months, a milestone they attribute to current immigration policies. In August, Border Patrol apprehended 8,870 individuals, marking a 5% decline from July and a 94% drop compared with the average month under the prior administration. Drug interdictions surged, with overall seizures up 73% year-to-date and cocaine seizures increasing 28% to 6,724 pounds, while precursor chemicals exceeded 120,000 pounds.

The administration also started constructing a new section of a border wall in Arizona, despite opposition from the Tohono O'odham Nation; a federal judge ruled the project could proceed on federally owned land. Officials highlighted that the lack of releases demonstrates the effectiveness of one outlet enforcement approach.