Unauthorized migration at the U.S.–Mexico border has fallen to its lowest level in more than half a century, while the makeup of those arriving has shifted sharply toward single Mexican adults and unaccompanied Central American minors, according to new figures from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).
Roughly 444,000 migrant encounters were recorded in fiscal year 2025, down from 2.1 million the previous year, marking a return to demographic patterns last seen more than a decade ago. During FY 2025, single adults accounted for nearly 80% of unauthorized crossings, while family-unit encounters dropped from 27% to 12%.
