Border Patrol records another record high of apprehensions, encounters at southern border in May

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol published official data Thursday for apprehensions and encounters May: the highest monthly total in recorded U.S. history of 239,416.

CBP published the data after The Center Square published preliminary numbers received from a Border Patrol agent.

Official numbers include both Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations data of people entering the U.S. illegally at all ports of entry.

Despite President Joe Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and CBP Chief Chris Magnus arguing that the border is closed, that Title 42 is being enforced, and that it is complying with the Remain in Mexico policy, more people entered the U.S. illegally in May 2022 than an any month recorded in U.S. history.

And the numbers are only going up.

In April, CBP reported 235,478 total encounters/apprehensions; in March, 222,239; in February, 165,902; in January, 154,816.

The last two months alone equals roughly the size of the population of Wyoming.

The southern border sectors that saw the most traffic last month, as in nearly all months, were in Texas in the Rio Grande Valley and Del Rio sectors.

The numbers are broken down by BP sector and categories, including apprehensions, turn backs, non-violations, outstanding, no-arrests, got aways (known/recorded), and deceased. Here are the numbers based on the preliminary data obtained by The Center Square.

RGV Sector

Apps – 46,527TBs – 4,284Got Aways (known/recorded) – 4,378Unresolved Detection – 133No Arrest – 2,887Deceased – 15Non-violation – 261Outstanding – 18

Del Rio Sector

Apps – 45,662TBs – 193Got Aways (known/recorded) – 15,006Unresolved Detection – 168No Arrest – 3,736Deceased -26Non-violation -176Outstanding -58

Yuma Sector

Apps – 36,568TBs – 204Got Aways (known/recorded) – 3,007Unresolved Detection – 20No Arrest – 62Deceased – 9Non-violation -54Outstanding – 63

El Paso Sector

Apps – 35,650TBs – 3,104Got Aways (known/recorded) – 9,856Unresolved Detection – 31No Arrest – 225Deceased -0Non-violation -104Outstanding -25

Tucson Sector

Apps – 27,554TBs – 995Got Aways (known/recorded) – 18,612Unresolved Detection – 1,655No Arrest – 3,344Deceased – 12Non-violation – 202Outstanding – 399

San Diego Sector

Apps – 17,797TBs – 756Got Aways (known/recorded) -5,437Unresolved Detection – 4No Arrest – 5,301Deceased – 1Non-violation – 7Outstanding – 150

Laredo Sector

Apps – 12,297TBs – 2,601Got Aways (known/recorded) – 3,113Unresolved Detection – 45No Arrest – 1,134Deceased – 11Non-violation – 246Outstanding – 0

El Centro Sector

Apps – 7,264TBs – 407Got Aways (known/recorded) – 679Unresolved Detection – 4No Arrest – 5Deceased – 0Non-violation – 2Outstanding – 5

Big Bend Sector

Apps – 3,309TBs – 54Got Aways (known/recorded) – 1,521Unresolved Detection – 41No Arrest – 184Deceased – 5Non-violation – 22Outstanding – 69

Apprehensions include those in the U.S. illegally who surrender or are caught by BP officers. Turn backs include those who entered illegally but returned to Mexico.

The categories of “no arrests” and “unresolved detection” aren’t part of 6 U.S. Code, which classifies how encounters are to be reported. These categories are used as a way to lower the number of got-aways being reported, the BP officer says.

No arrests mean someone “was detected in a non-border zone and their presence didn’t affect Got-Away statistics,” according to the official internal tracking system definition used by agents to record data. “Unresolved detection” means the same thing, but the officers, for a range of reasons, couldn’t determine citizenship.

Non-violations are “deemed to have committed no infraction and don’t affect Got-Away statistics,” according to the tracking system definition.

The categories of non-violations, no arrests and unresolved detection should actually be categorized as got-aways, the BP officer says, assuming all non-arrests were of non-citizens.

Preliminary data in other sectors show more than 1,600 people were apprehended in May, with Miami apprehending the most.

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