Border Patrol agents detained over 902,000 migrants for illegally entering the United States between ports of entry in the initial five months of this fiscal year. This marks a slight decrease from the corresponding period in FY23, yet represents an increase of nearly 12 percent compared to the year-to-date figures of FY22.
From October 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024, Border Patrol agents intercepted 902,113 migrants who unlawfully crossed the border between ports of entry. This aligns closely with the pace of 903,693 migrant detentions during the same timeframe in FY23. In the first five months of the unprecedented FY22, agents apprehended only 806,299 individuals before reaching over 2.2 million migrant apprehensions for the entire year.
Due to a combination of factors, apprehensions in the five Texas-based border sectors decreased from nearly 561,000 during the first five months of FY23 to nearly 407,000 in FY24, marking a decrease of nearly 28 percent. These factors include heightened border enforcement by the State of Texas through Operation Lone Star and proactive measures in Mexico to relocate migrants from its northern border to central and southern Mexico.
In contrast, the number of migrants apprehended illegally entering the Tucson Sector surged from more than 112,000 in FY23 to over 300,000 in FY24, indicating a remarkable increase of 167 percent. Similarly, agents in the San Diego Sector witnessed a significant rise in migrant apprehensions from approximately 86,000 in FY23 to nearly 152,000 in FY24, marking a 76 percent increase.
Furthermore, every sector along the northern border experienced a rise in migrant apprehensions this year compared to the previous year. Most notably, the Swanton Sector, which encompasses eastern New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, reported an increase from just under 2,000 in the first five months of FY23 to more than 4,000 in the same period this year, reflecting a 167 percent rise.
