US border enforcement reaches 16-month milestone of zero migrant releases

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reached a 16-month milestone of zero releases of migrants apprehended for illegal border crossings. This policy marks a significant departure from the previous administration’s practices, which DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) characterize as a “catch and release” system.

Under the current administration, individuals apprehended at the southwest border are being “apprehended, detained and removed” rather than being released into the country to await immigration proceedings. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that the administration has ended the practice of releasing migrants into the interior. While those seeking asylum may still enter separate legal processes, they are not being released into the U.S. as part of the standard border-release policy.

In August, Border Patrol recorded 8,870 apprehensions along the southwest border, a 5% decrease from July. DHS reported that these August southwest apprehension numbers were 94% below the monthly average recorded during the Biden administration and 97% below the peak seen in December 2023.