The number of illegal alien apprehensions at the Southwest U.S. border hit a 17-year low in March under President Donald Trump, according to the latest numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In a new data set published Wednesday, CBP reports border agents apprehended only 12,193 illegal aliens between ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, down 35 percent from the 23,570 illegal aliens caught in February.
It’s also a stunning 74 percent drop over last March, when 46,150 illegal aliens were apprehended under then-President Barack Obama’s watch.
Last month, only 1,914 unaccompanied children were detained at the border, down from more than 7,000 who were caught in December. Another 1,043 members of family units were apprehended that month – a 93 percent from December’s total of 16,139.
Another 4,407 illegal aliens were apprehended at ports of entry along the Southwest border last month.
“As directed in DHS Secretary Kelly's memoranda implementing the President’s executive orders, CBP will remain committed to carrying out fair, impartial and humane enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws,” immigration officials said in a statement published along with the data, adding that “CBP will remain vigilant to respond to any changes in trends, as numbers of illegal crossings typically increase between March and May.”
The drastic drop in illegal immigration at the southernmost border has been largely credited to heightened border security and interior immigration enforcement policies enacted by the new Trump administration.