U.S. border agencies report 12th straight month of zero migrant releases

Traders Union
All News
Financial News
U.S. border zero releases

Highlights

U.S. Border Patrol reports a twelfth consecutive month of zero border releases, supported by a 94% drop in April apprehensions from the Biden-era monthly average.
April 2024 southwest border apprehensions total 8,943—down 96% from the December 2023 peak—with a daily average of 298 versus 336 per hour in December 2023.
CBP posts a 61% rise in nationwide drug seizures through April, including monthly increases of 73% for heroin, 63% for methamphetamine, and 463 pounds of fentanyl.

Border enforcement metrics and April totals

As reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security and CBP say the U.S. Border Patrol records a twelfth consecutive month of zero releases at the border. Officials say the result reflects tougher enforcement measures and comes with apprehension levels they describe as the lowest in more than three decades.

CBP says southwest border apprehensions total 8,943 in April, down 94% from the monthly average under the Biden administration and 96% below the December 2023 peak. The agency says average daily apprehensions in April fall to 298, which it compares with 336 per hour at the height of crossings in December 2023.

The agency also says total Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border for the fiscal year through April are 37% lower than the average single month recorded from fiscal 1992 through 2024. CBP adds that total encounters this fiscal year to date, at 215,876, are 13% lower than April 2024 alone.

Drug seizure gains and policy implications

CBP says drug interdictions remain a parallel focus at the border, with combined nationwide seizures by weight of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana rising 60% from April 2024. In April 2026, heroin seizures increase 73% from March 2026, methamphetamine seizures rise 63%, and fentanyl seizures reach 463 pounds.

Through April of the current fiscal year, CBP says it seizes 61% more drugs than in the same period of FY 2024 and 53% more than the average for the last four years over the same stretch. The figures suggest the administration is tying stricter migration enforcement to a broader border security message centered on interdiction, removals and operational control.

In our earlier coverage of Congress’s homeland security agenda, we reported on a House Homeland Security subcommittee advancing a bipartisan package to restructure DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis. The measures would sharpen I&A’s mission, adjust how key programs and special-event coordination are housed, and strengthen accountability after watchdog findings cited leadership shortcomings.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.