Migrant encounters in El Paso, Texas, remained flat in April, a contrast with the overall decrease reported at a national level. A similar scenario could be seen in New Mexico, according to Border Report.
Border Patrol figures show that the El Paso sector recorded just over 30,000 encounters last month, practically the same as March, with 28 fewer apprehensions. The outlet added that encounters across the entire Southwest border decreased by 6% month over month.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy Miller said the drop can be explained by increased enforcement, more deportations and cooperation with other countries, especially Mexico.
A report by NBC News this week showed that Mexico is stopping nearly three times as many migrants within its territory compared to the previous year.
Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena has said the country committed to helping the U.S. reduce the flow of migrants to its southern border to 4,000 a day at most. They (U.S. officials) have the capacity to manage the crossing of 4,000 people along their border, but no more than 4,000," Bárcena said.
At the request of the U.S., the country is using military patrols and highway checkpoints, intercepting roughly 8,000 U.S.-bound migrants per day, according to officials from both countries.
There were fewer than 129,000 arrests in April at the national level, compared to 137,480 in March. It's also almost half of the almost 250,000 recorded in December, according to U.S. Customs and Border protection.
Increased enforcement by Texas officials also contributed to the drop. After leading the country in encounters during most of Fiscal Year 2023, El Paso has seen a 41% decrease since then.
Migration routes have changed as a result, with San Diego becoming the new hotspot when it comes to crossings. Arizona has also seen increased migration as smugglers turn away from Texas and seek paths of less resistance following an increased crackdown by the Greg Abbott administration.
San Diego is currently seeing the largest amount of apprehensions (something that hadn't happened since the 1990s) but Arizona still leads the country in the area this fiscal year.
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