daily average of known gotaways at southern border drops significantly under Trump policies
The daily average of known gotaways at the southern border has dropped to 132 since February, a 93% decrease since Biden's presidency, following Trump’s border security policies.
The daily average number of known gotaways, or illegal migrants who successfully entered the U.S. without apprehension, at the southern border has plummeted to just 132 per day since the beginning of February. This reflects a 93% decrease from the peak numbers recorded during the former Biden administration, according to a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) source.
During President Biden's time in office, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Fox News revealed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded 670,674 known gotaways in FY 2023, which averages out to more than 1,800 per day.
When President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, he implemented extensive measures to secure the southern border, leading to this significant drop in the daily average of known gotaways. These individuals are categorized as "known" because they are tracked using cameras, sensors, or other methods, though border patrol agents were unable to apprehend them at the time.
A senior DHS official stated, "Delivering consequences has results. Illegal crossings are down, gotaways are down. Criminal prosecutions are on the rise." The official noted reports of large groups in Mexico and Guatemala are turning back, surrendering to authorities, and requesting to go home.
The implementation of Trump's policies began to produce noticeable effects in the second week of his administration when tariffs were imposed on Mexico, Canada, and China. This led to a decrease in border crossings, the shuttering of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and pressure on the federal workforce to return to in-person work or resign.
As of Feb. 1, the number of migrants arriving at the southern border had decreased by 63%. In the initial week of Trump's administration, the southern border saw 7,287 migrant encounters, translating to an average of 1,041 encounters per day. Border czar Tom Homan reported that by the end of the first week, the administration had successfully removed and returned 7,300 illegal immigrants to various countries including Mexico, Jordan, Brazil, and El Salvador.
