TUCSON, AZ — President Biden's executive order which limits asylum access for migrants who cross the border illegally is lowering the number of apprehensions in the Tucson Sector.
In the last week of May, the last full week of data when the executive order was not in effect, 7,800 migrants were apprehended in Tucson. Over the last week, 4,900 migrants were apprehended, a 37% decrease.
Video in the player above contains coverage of when the executive order was officially announced.
Latest 48 Hours on the Border coverage:
Despite border challenges, Yuma relies on migrants to power agriculture industry New border policies lead to major decrease in illegal border crossings in Yuma Rep. Juan Ciscomani gives Congressional colleagues a tour of border issues 500 troops deployed to Fort Huachuca in support of Southern Border mission Arizona border residents react to President Trump’s executive ordersEven with the recent decrease, overall numbers in Tucson remain historically high. The sector also leads all other southern border sectors in total apprehensions with just over 400,000.
On the other side of the border, the new order is having a human impact. This week, our sister station KGUN in Tucson went to Nogales, Mexico where migrants were crying on the streets after being deported.
Under President Biden, there has been an ebb and flow of border crossings. When Title 42 ended in May 2023, apprehensions dropped by as much as 50%.
The administration then took credit for the drop, only for border arrests to reach record levels in December 2023. In Lukeville, over two thousand people were crossing the border daily.
