Migrant Arrests at the US-Mexico Border Are Down, But The Situation Is Still Complicated
So, here’s what’s going on with migrant arrests at the US-Mexico border. In December 2024, the number of people caught crossing illegally dropped quite a bit compared to previous years. Actually, the arrests were even lower than during the last month of Trump’s presidency in 2020. This is a big change from December 2023, when arrests hit a really high number under Biden’s watch.
To give you some numbers: about 47,000 migrants were arrested in December 2024. That’s way less than the 250,000 arrests in December 2023, and also less than the 71,000 caught in December 2020. This drop might mean the border is getting more stable, but honestly, the numbers tend to go up and down, so it’s hard to say exactly what’s causing the changes.
What’s Happening at the Canadian Border?
It’s not just the southern border. The US-Canada border is seeing fewer migrant arrests too. In December 2024, about 500 people were caught trying to cross into the US from Canada. That’s a drop from 700 the month before. The numbers there are much smaller than at the Mexico border, but it still shows some overall shift in how people are moving and how border control is working.
What to Expect With Trump Coming Back
Trump is set to become president again in January 2025, and he’s made it clear he wants to crack down hard on illegal immigration. He talks about big deportations and stricter policies. His team says they might need around $100 billion to fund all this, which is a huge amount—bigger than what many government agencies get.
During Biden’s time, arrests went way up but then started to calm down after some tougher rules and cooperation with Mexico and Panama. Biden also set up legal ways for migrants to ask for asylum, like the CBP One app, which lets migrants schedule appointments legally instead of crossing illegally. This program seems to be working well so far, with hundreds of thousands of migrants using it regularly.
But Trump and many Republicans don’t like these legal entry programs. They say these programs encourage people to try to come illegally, and Trump promises to end them if he’s back in office.
The Future of Border Security Looks Uncertain
Some experts think Biden might be leaving Trump with a more stable border situation than before. But there’s a worry that if Trump just scraps Biden’s policies without putting anything good in place, the number of migrants could go up again. After all, many migrants are still waiting in Mexico, hoping for a chance to enter legally.
The CBP One app is still popular and seems to be a key tool in helping manage immigration more smoothly, with about 280,000 people using it daily to schedule legal entry.
Mexico’s Role and International Cooperation
Mexico has played a big part in slowing down illegal immigration by beefing up its own border controls, mostly because the Biden administration pushed for it. But with Trump coming back, this cooperation might face some challenges. Trump has even suggested hitting Mexico and Canada with big tariffs until they crack down harder on immigration and drug trafficking.
How COVID-19 Changed Things at the Border
Back when COVID-19 first hit, migrant arrests dropped a lot because travel restrictions made crossing harder. But once things started opening up, the numbers went back up. Also, many people tried crossing more than once, which added to the total arrests.
Bottom Line
Right now, arrests at the US-Mexico border are lower than in late 2020 under Trump. But this situation changes a lot depending on the policies in place and what kind of cooperation there is between countries. With Trump about to take office again, expect big changes, and possibly tougher rules, but also a lot of questions about how this will actually work out on the ground.
