U.S. Border Patrol: Fewer migrant encounters in El Paso in fiscal year 2024
JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- U.S. Border Patrol agents in the El Paso Sector were the busiest in the country in fiscal year 2023.
In that fiscal year, Border Patrol in El Paso recorded 427,471 migrant encounters. That fiscal year ended at the start of October 2023.
ABC-7 reached out to U.S. Border Patrol to learn how the 2024 fiscal year in our sector is going so far.
Through November, Border Patrol has apprehended 44,512 people, which represents a 58% reduction compared to this same time period last year when El Paso experienced 106,847 encounters.
"However, and despite the decline in numbers, El Paso Sector remains prepared in case we experience another influx of migrants," said Border Patrol Agent Claudio Herrera. "Currently, during December, we recorded an average of 1,095 daily encounters throughout the Sector."
Border Patrol also said over the last month agents observed a steady increase in the number of migrants arriving at the border near Border Safety Initiative Marker (BSI) #36 after illegally crossing the border by cutting the concertina wire.
The flow of migrants has been continuous since then. At one point, the group of migrants rose to more than 300 people, including families with children, mostly of Venezuelan origin.
El Paso Sector agents have also made more than 160 rescues and 14 migrants have lost their lives so far in fiscal year 2024.
