US Reports 95% Drop in Southwest Border Apprehensions in FY2026

US Customs and Border Protection recorded 98,708 apprehensions along the southwest border in fiscal 2026, a 95 percent decline from the annual levels cited under the Biden administration, according to preliminary figures released by the Department of Homeland Security.

The agency also reported 379,243 encounters nationwide during the fiscal year, which ended in September, describing the total as the lowest in its history. It said Border Patrol recorded no releases into the United States for the first time in a fiscal year.

September marked the 17th consecutive month without Border Patrol releases, according to the department.

The figures were released by the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, which attributed the decline to President Donald Trump’s border enforcement policies. The data are preliminary and the department’s comparisons with the Biden administration are based on figures it cited in its announcement.

Southwest border apprehensions in fiscal 2026 were also 60 percent below the 249,740 encounters recorded in the Biden administration’s highest month, the department said. Nationwide encounters were 88 percent lower than in fiscal 2023, when they reached a record under the previous administration.

The department said Border Patrol-identified migrant deaths fell by nearly 80 percent in fiscal 2026 compared with the Biden administration period. It did not provide further details in the announcement on the methodology or baseline used for that comparison.

The agency also reported completing 250 miles of new border barriers along the southwest border since January 20, 2025. The barriers include primary and secondary structures, waterborne barriers and supporting technology.

Customs and Border Protection said it obligated 34.3 billion US dollars for Smart Wall projects across southwest border states between September 2025 and September 2026, with funding from the Working Families Tax Cut Act helping accelerate construction.

Drug seizures also increased, with the agency reporting nearly one million pounds seized in fiscal 2026, 63 percent above the average of 600,000 pounds a year over the previous four years.

In trade enforcement, the agency said it stopped more than 4,000 shipments worth over 325 million US dollars suspected of involving forced labour. It also seized nearly 55.5 million counterfeit goods with an estimated value exceeding 12.6 billion US dollars.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the figures showed the administration had restored control of the border, while CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott credited enforcement measures and frontline personnel.

Source: FSX Business News