Illegal Border Crossings Hit Record Monthly Low, CBP Says

Border Patrol apprehensions nationwide also dropped to a historic low, according to Customs and Border Protection.

Illegal immigrants walk alongside the U.S.–Mexico border wall after crossing the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas, on Feb. 1, 2024. John Moore/Getty Images

Illegal border crossings fell to their lowest level in June, with no parole releases of illegal immigrants, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) data released on July 15.

There were 25,228 total encounters nationwide in June, down from 29,478 the previous month, the data showed. It was the lowest monthly total ever recorded by CBP, the agency stated.

Border Patrol apprehensions nationwide also dropped to a historic low, with 8,024 apprehensions recorded last month, compared with 10,357 in May, the data showed.

Of that total, Border Patrol agents apprehended 6,072 illegal immigrants at the southwest border, a 15 percent decline from the March record of 7,183 apprehensions.

CBP recorded its lowest single-day apprehension total on June 28, with just 136 apprehensions, according to the data.

For the second consecutive month, the agency reported zero illegal immigrant releases along the southwest border.

The agency also saw a 13 percent increase in nationwide seizures of illicit drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, in June compared with the previous month, which underscored efforts to combat “cartel-driven smuggling routes” at the border.

Methamphetamine seizures surged by 102 percent compared with May.

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said that these figures were proof of the agency’s commitment to protecting the country “with relentless focus” under the Trump administration.

“From shutting down illegal crossings to seizing fentanyl and enforcing billions in tariffs, CBP is delivering results on every front,” Scott said in a statement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (2nd R) during a tour along the Nogales border wall at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Ariz., on March 15, 2025. Alex Brandon/AFP via Getty Images

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on July 2 that the Trump administration has delivered “the most secure border in American history,” as demonstrated by the latest figures.

“The world is hearing our message: the border is closed to law breakers. Under President Trump, our Border Patrol agents are empowered to do their job once again, secure our border, and protect the American people,” Noem stated on X.

After taking office for a second term on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at securing the United States’ borders, directing his administration to build barriers at the border, deter and prevent the entry of illegal immigrants, remove “promptly all aliens who enter or remain in violation of federal law,” and pursue criminal charges “against illegal aliens who violate the immigration laws.”

The order said the United States has seen a “large-scale invasion at an unprecedented level” over the past four years, with millions of illegal immigrants entering the country, including potential terrorists, foreign spies, members of cartels, and other hostile actors with malicious intent.

To further tighten border security, Trump issued a memo on April 11 authorizing the military to take control of land along the U.S.–Mexico border as part of efforts to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

The memo does not apply to Native American reservations but does extend to the Roosevelt Reservation, a 60-foot-wide corridor owned by the federal government running along the U.S.–Mexico border in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

It also authorized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to treat areas where troops are deployed as military installations, granting him the authority to protect those zones and restrict access as necessary.