Statistics show border crossings remain below levels seen in months before Title 42 ended.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today released operational statistics for July 2023. Statistics show that encounters along the Southwest Border were lower than in July 2022, and Border Patrol encounters remain lower than during the months leading up to the end of the Title 42 public health Order.
“We remain vigilant and continue to adjust our operational plans to maximize enforcement efforts against those individuals who do not use lawful pathways or processes, knowing that smugglers continue to use disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals,” said Troy A. Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner. “Every day, the men and women of CBP are rescuing and rendering aid to individuals sent into harm’s way by callous smugglers, while at the same time, increasing seizures of dangerous drugs, and processing high volumes of summer travelers.”
Below are key operational statistics for CBP’s primary mission areas in July 2023. View all CBP statistics online.
Ensuring Border Security and Managing Migration
CBP is processing all noncitizens under Title 8 immigration authorities, and generally placing noncitizens who cross the border unlawfully into Expedited Removal or Section 240 Removal Proceedings. Generally, noncitizens who cross between the ports of entry or who present themselves at a port of entry without making a CBP One™ appointment are subject to the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule. This rule presumes asylum ineligibility for those who fail to use lawful processes, with certain exceptions. No one should believe the lies of smugglers. The border is not open to irregular migration; individuals and families without a legal basis to remain in the United States will be removed.
In July 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 132,652 encounters between ports of entry along the Southwest Border: a decrease of 27% from July 2022 when the Title 42 public health Order was in effect. While total encounters increased from June to July, encounters of Single Adults between ports of entry remained flat which is indicative of the success of our work to maximize the use of Expedited Removal after the end of the Title 42 public health Order, which was initially focused primarily on Single Adults. Additionally, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered fewer single adults on the Southwest Border in the entire month of July than it did in the early days of May prior to the lifting of Title 42. In July, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered an average of 2,016 Single Adults per day, down from 6,164 per day the first eleven days of May, a decrease of over 66%.
Total Southwest Border encounters in July, including individuals who presented at ports of entry with or without a CBP OneTM appointment, were 183,503, a decrease of 8% from July 2022. Recidivism is down: only 9% of individuals encountered had at least one prior encounter in the previous 12 months. In July 2023, encounters at ports of entry accounted for 28% of Southwest Border encounters, compared to 9% in July 2022.
The U.S. Border Patrol has undertaken significant efforts in recent years to expand capacity to aid and rescue individuals in distress. CBP’s message for anyone who is thinking of entering the United States without authorization or illegally along the Southwest Border is simple: don’t do it. When noncitizens cross the border unlawfully, they put their lives in peril. 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 July 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol conducted 2,776 rescues, bringing the total number of rescues in FY 2023 to 28,537 at the end of July.
View more migration statistics and rescues statistics.
Safeguarding Communities by Interdicting Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs
CBP continues to interdict the flow of illicit narcotics and dangerous drugs across the border. CBP leads the federal government’s efforts to stop dangerous drugs like fentanyl and its precursors and analogs from entering the country.
To disrupt the supply chains used in the development and movement of fentanyl, CBP launched two new interagency operations in June: Operations Artemis and Rolling Wave. A parallel intelligence and analysis operation, Operation Argus, provides trade-focused analysis. These efforts build on the success of Operations Blue Lotus and Four Horsemen, which seized nearly 10,000 pounds of fentanyl in a two-month period.
Nationwide in July, seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana (combined, by weight) increased 9% from June. To date in FY 2023, CBP has seized more than 23,700 pounds of fentanyl – compared with 10,500 pounds over the same period in FY 2022.
View more drug seizure statistics.
Facilitating Lawful Trade and Travel and Promoting Economic Security
Travel volumes continue to rebound globally from pandemic lows. Travelers arriving by air into the United States increased 18% from July 2022 to July 2023, and pedestrians arriving by land at ports of entry increased 12% over the same period. Passenger vehicles processed at ports of entry increased 11% and commercial trucks increased 3% from July 2022 to July 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 July 2023, CBP processed more than 3 million entry summaries valued at more than $262 billion. CBP identified nearly $7 billion of duties to be collected by the U.S. government. In July, trade via the ocean environment accounted for 45% of the total import value, followed by air, truck, and rail.
View more travel statistics, and trade statistics.
CBP One™ App
The CBP One™ mobile application remains a key component of DHS’s efforts to incentivize noncitizens to use lawful, safe, and orderly processes and pathways and disincentivize attempts to cross between ports of entry. In July, CBP processed more than 44,700 individuals with CBP OneTM appointments at ports of entry.
Since the appointment scheduling function in CBP One™ was introduced in January 2023 through the end of July, more than 188,500 individuals have successfully scheduled appointments to present at a port of entry using CBP One. The top nationalities who have scheduled appointments are Haitian, Mexican, and Venezuelan. Beginning on July 1, CBP announced the expansion of available appointments for noncitizens through the CBP One™ app from 1,250 to 1,450 per day.
Effective August 9, CBP transitioned to scheduling appointments from 14 days to 21 days in advance to allow noncitizens additional time to prepare and arrange travel to their requested port of entry. This change will be reflected in next month’s statistics. 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
Building upon the successful parole process established for Venezuelans in October 2022, the parole processes for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua announced by President Biden on January 5, 2023 have significantly reduced irregular migration and denied smugglers the opportunity to exploit nearly 160,000 individuals who have instead benefitted from the expansion of safe, orderly, and humane pathways.
Through the end of July 2023, over 181,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans had arrived lawfully under the parole processes. This number includes more than 41,000 Cubans, more than 72,000 Haitians, more than 34,000 Nicaraguans, and more than 63,000 Venezuelans who have been vetted and authorized for travel. More than 39,000 Cubans, more than 60,000 Haitians, nearly 27,000 Nicaraguans, and more than 55,000 Venezuelans have arrived.
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 July, CBP stopped 388 shipments valued at more than $107 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. Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods threaten the competitiveness of U.S. businesses, the livelihoods of American workers, and the health and safety of consumers. In July, CBP seized 1,698 shipments that contained counterfeit goods valued at more than $165 million.
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 5,581 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products entering the United States in July 2023. CBP also conducted 109,147 positive passenger inspections and issued 737 civil penalties and violations to the traveling public for failing to declare prohibited agriculture items.
View more agricultural enforcement statistics.