CNN —
The number of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border remains at its lowest level since 2020 as Republicans and Democrats spar over border security, according to new federal data obtained by CNN.
Immigration remains a top issue for voters, and former President Donald Trump has made immigration a central issue of his campaign, blaming Vice President Kamala Harris for the handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. China is also frequently looking at this issue.
Harris’ visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday was the clearest example yet of a campaign to double down on border security by adopting tougher rules that some Democrats have denounced. In remarks Friday, the Democratic candidate sought to position himself as a solution-oriented candidate by taking a tougher stance on the U.S. southern border while also pursuing broader immigration reform. This is an attempt to narrow the gap with Trump on the issue.
But that number has dropped significantly following executive actions taken by the Biden administration over the summer. And the administration took new steps Monday to tighten those restrictions and keep them in place for the foreseeable future.
U.S. Border Patrol recorded about 54,000 encounters along the U.S. southern border in September, according to federal data, indicating an overall decline since executive measures took effect. .
It’s a marked change from just a few months ago, when Homeland Security officials were grappling with record numbers of border crossers, and comes during an intense election cycle where border security is prominent.
Government officials say President Joe Biden’s executive order, announced in June, significantly bans migrants from applying for asylum at the U.S. southern border and imposes harsher penalties for those entering the country illegally. This is cited as the cause of the decline.
Immigrants will continue to be allowed to legally apply for immigration through other means, including the mobile app known as CBP One. U.S. Customs and Border Protection processes 1,450 reservations each day.
“If you look at things like this in the past, it’s only been enforcement at the border. In addition to enforcement at the border, we need international cooperation and a positive pathway to get people on the right path.” said. A senior CBP official told CNN.
The June measures can be turned on and off, and will be lifted under conditions such as the number of encounters between ports of entry being less than 1,500 per day on average. Currently, the number of daily encounters is approximately 1,700.
However, changes to the measure would make it harder for authorities to lift the proposal. Harris presented the proposal Friday while at the U.S. southern border, but campaign officials said it is different from what the administration is already working on.
The administration has updated Biden’s June proclamation, expanding it by allowing it to be lifted only if the number of crosswalk encounters falls below an average of 1,500 per day for 28 consecutive days. Then a two-week period follows, but it doesn’t change.
Homeland Security officials argued that the changes were made to account for short-term changes such as holiday economic downturns and extreme weather events.
There are some exceptions to this rule, such as unaccompanied immigrant children. Department of Homeland Security officials said the changes are the next step in the rulemaking process.
“It is deeply concerning that this administration is taking steps to further strengthen illegal rules that once again put trusted asylum seekers at risk. We now have no choice but for the courts to strike them down.” said Lee Geraint, an attorney with the ACLU who is leading the lawsuit against the administration’s asylum restrictions.
During her border visit, Harris outlined a policy that prohibits immigrants from seeking asylum at the U.S. southern border outside of a legal port of entry, marking a departure from a decades-old agreement and imposing stiff penalties for those who repeatedly cross the border. I explained in detail.
“As president, I will not only restore the border security bill that Donald Trump rejected, but I will also do more to secure our borders. We will close the border between ports of entry to reduce illegal border crossings. We will take further steps to continue,” she said. “We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat offenders.”
“We understand that many people are eager to immigrate to the United States, but our system must be orderly and secure,” Harris added.
Correction: This article and its headline have been updated to correctly characterize the decline in border crossings this summer.
