WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today released monthly operational statistics for December 2023. CBP monthly reporting can be viewed online.
“The men and women of CBP continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws at and between ports of entry and continue to work with our Mexican partners along our shared border. CBP remains vigilant to respond to the serious challenges we are experiencing across the southwest border,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller. “CBP continues to use all available resources to ensure the safety and security of our agents and officers, and the migrants who are often misled and victimized by the transnational criminal organizations. But as we have repeatedly said, CBP and our federal partners need additional support from Congress so that we can continue to effectuate consequences for those who do not use established lawful pathways.”
CBP continues to work closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to quickly process individuals encountered at the border and remove those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States, utilizing consequences strengthened by the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule. From May 2023 to December 31, DHS removed or returned a record number of individuals—over 472,000—the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest border, including more than 78,800 individual family members. The majority of all individuals encountered at the southwest border over the past three years have been removed, returned, or expelled. Total removals and returns since mid-May exceed removals and returns in every full fiscal year since 2015.
Below are key operational statistics for CBP’s primary mission areas in December 2023. View all CBP statistics online.
Ensuring Border Security and Managing Migration
CBP has taken significant steps to surge personnel and resources to impacted areas and address challenges we are experiencing across the southwest border. Encounter numbers continue to fluctuate, as smugglers and bad actors continue to spread falsehoods and show complete disregard for the safety and well-being of vulnerable migrants. We remain vigilant and stand ready to ensure the safety of our personnel, migrants, and local communities, and the security of our southwest border.
CBP is targeting and disrupting transnational criminal organizations and smugglers who take advantage of and profit from migrants. CBP continually analyzes and responds to changes in migration patterns, particularly irregular migration outside of legal pathways and border crossings, and works with our federal and international partners to combat human smuggling.
In December 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 249,785 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border. CBP’s total encounters along the southwest border in December were 302,034. Consistent with historical trends and enhanced enforcement, the first two weeks of January saw an over 50% decrease in southwest border encounters between ports of entry according to preliminary figures.
CBP’s message for anyone who is thinking of attempting to circumvent lawful pathways to enter the United States is simple: don’t do it. When noncitizens cross the border unlawfully, they put their lives in peril. The U.S. Border Patrol has undertaken significant efforts in recent years to expand capacity to aid and rescue individuals in distress. To prevent the loss of life, CBP initiated a Missing Migrant Program in 2017 that locates noncitizens reported missing, rescues individuals in distress, and reunifies decedents’ remains with their families in the border region. In December, the U.S. Border Patrol conducted 386 rescues, totaling 1,362 rescues in FY 2024.
View more migration statistics and rescues statistics.
CBP One™ App
The CBP One™ mobile application remains a key component of DHS’s efforts to incentivize noncitizens to use lawful, safe, humane, and orderly pathways and disincentivize attempts to cross between ports of entry. In December, CBP processed approximately 45,770 individuals through appointments at ports of entry utilizing advanced information submitted in CBP One™.
Since the appointment scheduling function in CBP One™ was introduced in January 2023 through the end of December, approximately 413,300 individuals have successfully scheduled appointments to present at ports of entry using CBP One™. The top nationalities who have been processed are Venezuelan, Mexican, and Haitian.
A percentage of daily available appointments are allocated to the earliest registered CBP One™ profiles, so noncitizens who have been trying to obtain appointments for the longest time will be prioritized. CBP is continually monitoring and evaluating the application to ensure its functionality and guard against bad actors.
CHNV Parole Processes
Through the end of December 2023, 327,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans arrived lawfully under the parole processes. Specifically, more than 69,000 Cubans, 133,000 Haitians, 60,000 Nicaraguans, and 87,000 Venezuelans were vetted and authorized for travel; and more than 67,000 Cubans, 126,000 Haitians, 53,000 Nicaraguans, and 81,000 Venezuelans arrived and were granted parole.
Facilitating Lawful Trade and Travel and Promoting Economic Security
CBP continues to encourage travelers to utilize CBP’s mobile apps to enhance their travel experience. CBP’s Global Entry Mobile Application allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States before they enter the federal inspection area. Global Entry members can also use the new Global Entry Touchless Portals at nearly all international airports across the United States, expediting arrival processing by eliminating paper receipts and protecting passenger privacy. Travelers who are not Global Entry members may also opt for faster processing by using the free Mobile Passport Control application. For more travel tips, visit CBP’s Know Before You Go page.
As international travel continues to increase, CBP is leveraging technology to streamline efficiency and increase security at air and land ports of entry. Travelers arriving by air into the United States increased 16% from December 2022 to December 2023, and pedestrians arriving by land at ports of entry increased 11% over the same period. Passenger vehicles processed at ports of entry increased 2.5% while commercial trucks decreased 1.5% from December 2022 to December 2023.
CBP works diligently with the trade community and port operators to ensure that merchandise is cleared as efficiently as possible and to strengthen international supply chains and improve border security. In December 2023, CBP processed more than 2.6 million entry summaries valued at more than $260 billion, identifying estimated duties of nearly $6.3 billion to be collected by the U.S. government. In December, trade via the ocean environment accounted for 41% of the total import value, followed by air, truck, and rail.
Consumers are encouraged to be alert to the dangers of counterfeit goods especially when shopping online as they support criminal activity, hurt American businesses, and often have materials or ingredients that can pose serious health and safety risks. Every year CBP seizes millions of counterfeit products worth billions of dollars had they been genuine. In December, CBP seized 1,291 shipments that contained counterfeit goods valued at more than $86.2 million. More information about CBP’s intellectual property rights enforcement is available at www.cbp.gov/trade.
View more travel statistics, and trade statistics.
Protecting Consumers and Eradicating Forced Labor from Supply Chains
CBP continues to lead U.S. government efforts to eliminate goods from the supply chain made with forced labor from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. In December, CBP stopped 450 shipments valued at more than $187 million for further examination based on the suspected use of forced labor.
Intellectual property rights violations continue to put America’s innovation economy at risk. Counterfeit and pirated goods threaten the competitiveness of U.S. businesses, the livelihoods of American workers, and the health and safety of consumers. In December, CBP seized 1,291 shipments that contained counterfeit goods valued at more than $86 million if the items had been genuine.
View more UFLPA enforcement statistics, and intellectual property rights enforcement statistics.
Defending our Nation’s Agricultural System
Through targeting, detection, and interception, CBP agriculture specialists work to prevent threats from entering the United States.
CBP issued 5,847 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products entering the United States in December 2023. CBP conducted 94,406 positive passenger inspections and issued 633 civil penalties and/or violations to the traveling public for failing to declare prohibited agriculture items.
View more agricultural enforcement statistics.