Border apprehensions hit record low in dramatic turnaround from Biden era

The southern border has largely gone quiet.

United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks posted to X on Friday that southwest border apprehensions hit a monthly record low in July, with only 4,399 apprehensions. For the third month in a row, there have been zero releases.

This is the new all-time record low, beating the prior record low of 6,070 in June.

BORDER CROSSINGS PLUMMET TO HISTORIC LOWS; TRUMP'S ENFORCEMENT POLICIES YIELD BIG RESULTS


In July, it averages out to 141 apprehensions per day at the southern border. At the height of the Biden-era crisis, there were 10,000-plus apprehensions on some days in December 2023. 

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The high number of crossings resulted in an intense strain on resources in small border communities for years, as agents struggled to keep up with the demand while also dealing with responsibilities at the legal ports of entry. 

In addition, many migrants were bused at the request of some Republican leaders to Democratic-run areas like New York City.

'TRUMP EFFECT' TOUTED AS SOUTHERN BORDER NUMBERS STAY LOW, INCLUDING NEW RECORD

During the Biden administration, the record high was December 2023, with 249,785 apprehensions, the majority of which were released into the U.S. The nosedive in numbers is seen as a major victory by Republicans and the Trump administration.

"The border is secure again — as it should be. Strong policies equal quiet borders," Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, posted to X.

At the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, troops were deployed to the border, and the CBP One app that was commonly used for people crossing illegally to claim asylum was shuttered.

NEW DATA REVEALS BORDER CROSSINGS REACH RECORD LOWS AMID TRUMP ADMIN'S CRACKDOWN

The app was replaced with CBP Home, which is used for people to self-deport. The Department of Homeland Security has been touting for months an offer to give people $1,000 and free travel outside the U.S. if they have not committed other crimes. Deportation efforts are now underway throughout the U.S., as the administration is honing in on areas with sanctuary policies, with push back from Democratic officials at different levels of Congress.

Still, border and immigration enforcement is expected to get a resources boost with the recent passage of the Trump-backed spending bill, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Billions were allocated for border security efforts, including to pay back states for costs incurred during the Biden administration, and ICE is now beginning recruitment for thousands more agents they’ve been given the budget to hire. 

Kamala Harris scolds 'piling on' against Joe Biden when asked about separating herself during 2024 campaign

Former Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly said Thursday she didn't want to be part of a "piling on" against President Joe Biden when pressed about the dynamic of running to replace her boss in the 2024 campaign.

During her appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," the host noted that he and others wondered how Harris would be different from Biden, who was forced to drop off the Democratic ticket due to his unpopularity and inability to recover from his catastrophic debate with Donald Trump.

"That must have been difficult, because you have to differentiate yourself as a candidate, and yet you respect this man who you're still working for at the same time," Colbert said. "What was that like to navigate?" 

"I talk about that extensively in the book," Harris said, referencing her newly announced election memoir "107 Days," which refers to the length of her abbreviated campaign. "You're raising something that you and I both know requires a lot more time than we probably have right now to talk about." 

KAMALA HARRIS REFUSES TO SAY WHO'S LEADING DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHEN PRESSED BY COLBERT

Colbert teased her that he and his audience weren't in a hurry, before Harris grew serious.

"It's an instinct of mine to be someone who does not participate in piling on," she said. "And I was not going to pile on, and I just wasn't going to do that. And there was a lot of piling on at that time, and I wasn't going to participate in that."

Harris appeared to be referring to the Democratic ambush of Biden after his health issues could no longer be concealed. Colbert notably didn't ask Harris any questions about Biden's mental decline behind the scenes that has been reported in several books this year.

Biden's family is still smarting over the humiliation of him being effectively thrown off the Democratic ticket last year.

His aging and cognitive concerns were laid bare during his halting performance at last June's debate with Trump, and eventually the pressure from leaders like Nancy Pelosi and other party luminaries to drop out became too much. 

KAMALA HARRIS TO PUBLISH BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCOUNT OF FAILED 2024 CAMPAIGN

Biden quit the race on July 21, 2024, endorsed Harris, and the vice president quickly sewed up the nomination and reset the race with Trump. But Harris and running mate Tim Walz were unable to overcome the headwinds of Biden's unpopularity and her own shortcomings as a candidate, as Trump romped to a comfortable victory on election night.

Harris' inability to get out of Biden's shadow haunted her during the campaign.

Perhaps Harris' most memorable media blunder came at one of the only venues that could rival Colbert's for friendliness: "The View." Co-host Sunny Hostin asked Harris what she would have done differently than Biden over the past four years, to which Harris responded there was "not a thing that comes to mind."

"I've been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact," she added. 

KAMALA HARRIS HAD PROFANE MESSAGE FOR GOVERNORS UNEASY ABOUT SUPPORTING BIDEN

The Trump campaign used the moment to its advantage, putting the clip in advertisements to counter the image of Harris as a change candidate. The viral interview was at the center of numerous media postmortems about how she lost the race.

That same day as her appearance on "The View," Harris went on Colbert's show and dodged his question as well about how her hypothetical administration would differ from Biden's.

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