White House reports drop in border encounters, credits executive actions

The White House this week reported a significant decrease in migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border since President Joe Biden issued an executive order aimed at bolstering immigration enforcement.
Migrant encounters in August were significantly lower than last year, White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández wrote in a statement Monday. Since Biden’s June 4 executive order there has been a 50% drop in encounters at the border.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in August there were about 58,000 migrant encounters between ports of entry along the southern border, nearly a 68% decline from the 181,000 in August 2023.
The total number of southern border encounters was about 63,000. That figure includes about 5,000 migrants who came to ports of entry without a CBP One registration.
CBP One is a mobile app that allows migrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry rather than cross illegally. U.S. border officials said the app has played a crucial role in streamlining border processes. In August, about 44,700 individuals were processed using CBP One. Since its introduction in January 2023, more than 813,000 people have scheduled appointments.
U.S. border officials also said the June executive actions led to an increase in migrant removals, with more than 131,000 people deported to over 140 countries since June. About 400 international repatriation flights have taken place during this time.
But even with the latest numbers, some Republican lawmakers criticized the Biden administration during a hearing Thursday to discuss potential terrorist threats and homeland security issues related to illegal immigration.
The lawmakers argued that the perception of border officers as welcoming, rather than focused on law enforcement, is contributing to the number of migrants coming to the U.S.
“Our border patrol, law enforcement agents were transitioned from their national security role, their law enforcement role [of] repelling illegal entry and capturing those that crossed illegally as much as possible to transition to sort of reception roles and caring for and transporting, feeding, etc.,” Congressman Clay Higgins, a Republican from Alabama, said as he expressed concern about migrants who crossed illegally and evaded Border Patrol.
There is no indication the Biden administration officially changed border patrol officers’ law enforcement role.
Alex Nowrasteh, the vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, testified during the hearing that the primary reason migrants come the U.S. — legally or illegally — is to work.
“It’s still the economy. That’s what’s pulling people in, and the rapid economic recovery after COVID can explain more than any other factor,” he said.