El Paso sees decrease in migrant encounters
EL PASO, Texas / CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- Border Patrol El Paso Sector kicked off Fiscal Year 2026 with 1,381 reported migrant encounters in October of this year; in September, they recorded 1,447.
ABC-7 reported last month, Border Patrol closed Fiscal Year 2025 with an 81.6% drop in the El Paso Sector alone and an 84.5% decrease across the entire border strip.
"The dedicated men and women of CBP have delivered another month of historic results – the lowest border crossings of any October in history,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. “Six straight months of zero releases at the border. That’s real enforcement, real consequences. And with record tariff collections safeguarding America’s economic sovereignty, we’re operating the most secure border this nation has ever seen.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says border enforcement "keeps reaching historic levels."
In a news release, they said encounters remained "historically low," comparing them with the Biden Administration.
- 30,573 total encounters nationwide — 92% below the peak of the Biden administration’s 370,883
- 7,989 Border Patrol apprehensions on the southwest border — 95% lower than the monthly average of the Biden administration, and less than what was apprehended in five days in October 2024
- 258 USBP apprehensions per day on the southwest border — 95% lower than the daily average under the Biden administration, and less than the number apprehended every two hours under the Biden administration
- Zero parole releases — compared to 10,009 released by the Border Patrol under the Biden administration along the southwest border in October 2024
ABC-7 spoke with Border Patrol El Paso Sector today, more updates in later newscasts.
