PHOENIX — Migrant encounters in June were the lowest in two years, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
With COVID-19 era Title 42 ending in May, June is the first full month where all migrant encounters were processed under Title 8.
While encounters were still high compared to pre-pandemic data, the drop in encounters in June was significant. Data shows 144,571 migrant encounters occurred on the nation’s southwestern border and at port of entries.
It’s a 30% decline from last June and the lowest number of encounters since February 2021, the month when encounters surpassed 100,000.
Title 8 encounters are split into two categories by USCBP: apprehensions and inadmissible.
In June, there were 100,000 apprehensions on the border’s nine sectors. All nine experienced a drop in apprehensions.
The largest, Del Rio and Tucson declined by nearly 20%. Smaller sectors like El Paso, San Diego, and Yuma fell by almost half.
All four border patrol field offices that handle Title 8 inadmissible had increases in June, ranging from 7% to 50%. Inadmissibles are when someone tries to cross, typically at a port of entry, but does not have the proper paperwork.
The data also splits out encounters by nationality.
There were large declines in migrant encounters of citizens from South American countries. A 74% decline in encounters with Colombians and almost 40% fewer Venezuelans were encountered. Mexico is the largest nationality for encounters but saw an 11% decline in June.
Only two nationalities had an uptick in encounters at the border, but really it was only one. Encounters with migrants from Haiti rose over 2,000 in June, an increase of 42%. Twenty-four Ukrainians were apprehended by USCBP, one more than May.