US reports record-low southwest border apprehensions for fiscal year 2026

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that southwest border apprehensions reached a historic low during fiscal year 2026. According to preliminary figures from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there were 98,708 arrests along the southwest border for the fiscal year ending September 30. This figure represents a 95 percent decline from the annual average of more than 1.8 million apprehensions recorded during the Biden administration.

Nationwide encounters for fiscal 2026 totaled 379,243, which the agency described as the lowest in its history. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin attributed the decline to the administration’s enforcement policies, stating, “President Trump promised the American people a secure border, and the data proves he delivered.” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott also credited frontline personnel and interagency cooperation for the results.

The department noted that fiscal 2026 was the first year in which Border Patrol recorded no releases of apprehended migrants at the border, marking seventeen consecutive months without such releases. Additionally, Border Patrol personnel identified an approximately 80 percent decline in migrant deaths compared to previous periods.