Border Patrol Arrests Drop To Lowest Level In Nearly 60 Years

Leaked government data reveals a massive shift at the southern border. Border Patrol agents arrested just under 98,701 illegal immigrants in fiscal 2026. At least 59 years have passed since an annual total this low was recorded.

The Washington Examiner obtained these internal numbers from Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday. The fiscal year ran from October 2025 through September 2026. Agents encountered an average of 8,225 people each month.

The Numbers Show a Sharp Drop

The 2.2 million arrests from fiscal 2022 exceed this figure by over 95%. That was former President Joe Biden’s first full year in office. Four years ago, agents took into custody an average of 183,000 illegal immigrants every month.

That monthly average from the past is higher than the total for the entire last 12 months. The Border Patrol does not publicly list southern border arrests back to 1924. Since 1967, no lower count than 98,701 has appeared in the data.

In 1967, only 94,778 arrests were made nationwide. Illegal immigrant arrests at the southern border typically account for over 90% of the total. Between 2010 and 2020, arrests stayed between 300,000 and 500,000 per year.

How the Numbers Changed

Arrests dropped quickly in 2017 during Trump’s first term but rose again later. Mexican cartels understood that U.S. policies remained unchanged during that period. Their methods would prevail at the border without new rules.

A border crisis under the Biden administration brought millions to the U.S., with roughly 5 million released into the country. Parole programs enabled hundreds of thousands more to arrive by flying from abroad.

Republicans claimed Biden’s immigration promises enticed people from around the world to travel here. The administration stopped turning away unaccompanied child migrants upon taking office. They also halted Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations for 100 days.

Construction on the border wall was suspended during those early days. Alejandro Mayorkas, the former Homeland Security Secretary, and Biden were cited by Republicans as responsible for permitting the ongoing crisis. They said it lasted more than three years before actions reduced attempts.