via Washington Examiner by Anna Giaritelli
The number of people arrested for illegally crossing into the U.S. from Mexico dropped for a third month in a row in August, down 62% from the May peak of 132,870 apprehensions, according to government documents reviewed by theWashington Examiner.
A total of 50,693 people were taken into custody at the southwest border during August, the lowest tally since January, when the number rose drastically as tens of thousands of families began arriving each month. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency to Border Patrol, is expected to announce the August numbers late this week or early next week.
The apprehensions include asylum-seeking families who surrendered to agents as well as others who tried to evade capture but were arrested in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The number is now more on trend with the average number of people brought in per month over the past five years.
Border Patrol agents use apprehension rates as an indicator of how many people are trying to illegally enter the country. Historically, arrests usually dip slightly during summer months due to extreme heat in the region and the danger it presents to those traveling by foot through Mexico,according to CBP data. The drop this summer far exceeds the norm.
The complete story here > Massive drop in border crossings since crisis peaked in May: Internal documents