Biden administration says number of illegal border crossings has drastically fallen as Trump seizes on immigration

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN

(CNN) — US officials on Monday touted another month of low border crossings, citing recent executive action curbing asylum access at the US southern border, even as former President Donald Trump levels campaign attacks over the Biden administration’s handling of border security.

Immigration and border security remain among the top issues for voters, and Trump has made them a cornerstone of his campaign, pinning blame on Vice President Kamala Harris over the handling of the US-Mexico border.

But while border crises have dogged administration officials for the better part of Joe Biden’s presidency, the number of people illegally crossing the border over the last two months has drastically fallen.

“The data published today by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that since President Biden announced new, decisive executive actions to secure the border on June 4, encounters between ports of entry have dropped significantly and remain at their lowest level in years – July and August saw the lowest encounter levels since September 2020,” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández said in a statement.

The administration, Fernández Hernández said, “has taken effective action, and Republican officials continue to do nothing.”

In August, Border Patrol recorded about 58,000 encounters between ports of entry along the US southern border, slightly up from July but far below the record numbers in recent months.

Encounters between ports of entry have decreased by more than 50% and are the lowest since September 2020, according to US Customs and Border Protection. In September 2020, Border Patrol recorded 54,771 encounters along the US southern border.

Administration officials cite the executive action that Biden announced in June, which largely bars migrants from seeking asylum at the US southern border, for the dramatic decline in crossings.

“CBP continues to enforce the Securing the Border interim final rule and deliver strong consequences for illegal entry, and encounters between ports of entry remain at their lowest level in years,” Troy A. Miller, acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.

Migrants who are eligible can still apply to legally enter the United States through a mobile application, known as CBP One, or through a parole process set up for certain nationalities.

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