Migrant apprehensions along the Southwest U.S. border with Mexico fell by nearly 96 percent last week compared to the average number recorded in February 2024. Data from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) indicates that apprehensions in the five Texas-based border sectors dropped by nearly 89 percent from last year.
Texas DPS Spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez posted a series of daily recaps detailing the apprehensions in each of the five Texas-based border sectors over a seven-day period ending February 9. The El Paso Sector, which includes far West Texas and the New Mexico border, led with 612 migrant apprehensions.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector followed with 392 apprehensions, while the Del Rio, Laredo, and Big Bend Sectors recorded 236, 169, and 52 apprehensions, respectively.
Overall, apprehensions along the Texas-based border sectors totaled 1,461 for the week—an 89 percent decrease from last year’s average. Nationwide, border apprehensions dropped to 2,615, marking a 96 percent reduction from previous levels.
The White House released a video on X highlighting the successes during the first weeks of the Trump administration, including an 89 percent decrease in illegal alien encounters. However, it remains unclear what data was used for comparison and whether it included the northern border.
For reference, Breitbart obtained CBP Nationwide Encounters data from February 2024 and calculated an average of 5,023 apprehensions per day along the southwest border sectors, with 1,909 per day occurring in Texas-based sectors.
The significant drop in migrant apprehensions can be largely attributed to the aggressive enforcement policies of the Trump administration and newly announced enforcement measures by Mexico.
