EXCLUSIVE: 220K Migrants Apprehended in December Along SW Border

U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 220,000 migrants who crossed the southwest border in December. The number of apprehended migrants sets a record for December and is the second-largest month since the Clinton administration. This brings the total apprehensions for the first quarter of FY23 to more than 631,000.

Border Patrol agents assigned to the nine southwest border sectors apprehended well over 220,000 migrants in December, according to unofficial numbers in a Border Patrol report reviewed by Breitbart Texas. This represents an increase of nearly 30 percent over the more than 170,000 migrants apprehended in December 2021. It also represents a 210 percent increase over December 2020, President Donald Trump’s last full month in office.

Randy Clark

The report reviewed by Breitbart Texas shows December as the fourth straight record-setting month for apprehensions and the largest month for the new fiscal year. During the first quarter of FY23, which began on October 1, 2022, Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 632,000 migrants.

The 632,000 first-quarter apprehensions represent an increase of nearly 60 percent over the entire Fiscal Year 2020 when agents apprehended only 441,000 migrants — President Trump’s last full year in office.

Of the more than 220,000 migrants apprehended in December, only 46,000 were removed from the United States under the Title 42 program.

The El Paso Sector continues to lead the nation in migrant apprehensions. During the month of December, agents took nearly 56,000 migrants into custody. This brings the first-quarter apprehensions for this sector to 162,000 migrants.

Del Rio Sector agents apprehended more than 51,000 migrants in December — mostly in the Eagle Pass area of operations. This represents an increase of nearly 54 percent over the previous December. During the first quarter of FY23, Del Rio Sector agents apprehended more than 111,000 migrants.

Agents in these two sectors apprehended more than 273,000 migrants during the first quarter of the new fiscal year.

Yuma and Tucson Sector agents apprehended 31,000 and 22,000 migrants respectively bringing their total apprehensions for the first quarter to more than 149,000 migrants.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.

Editor’s Note: The statistics cited above for December 2022 migrant apprehensions are gathered from an unofficial Border Patrol report reviewed by Breitbart Texas. Historical numbers come from official U.S. Customs and Border Protection Southwest Land Border Encounters reports.