July Border Arrests Anticipated to Hit Record Low Amid Policy Changes

According to sources familiar with the situation, border agents are expecting the number of migrants arrested for illegal crossings in July to drop below 60,000. This would represent the lowest level of monthly apprehensions seen during President Biden's administration, coming down from approximately 75,000 apprehensions noted in January 2021, the month he took office.

This substantial decrease contrasts sharply with the approximately 250,000 arrests that occurred in December of the previous year. The decline is attributed to the Biden administration's recent implementation of strict asylum restrictions for migrants who cross the southern border illegally, introduced in June. These changes effectively ended the longstanding rights that provided anyone arriving on U.S. soil the opportunity to seek asylum, enabling border officials to return migrants more swiftly to their home countries or to Mexico.

The latest figures may serve as a significant counterpoint to one of the Biden administration's pressing political challenges, particularly as the November elections approach. The Republican Party has been critical of President Biden regarding the surge in border crossings, and they have begun to target Vice President Kamala Harris's involvement in the issue now that she is widely seen as the likely Democratic nominee.