DHS, CBP report 14th straight month of zero border releases

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DHS, CBP: zero border releases

Highlights

CBP reports June as the 14th straight month of zero border releases, with nationwide encounters and apprehensions both down 4% to 31,626 and 11,396 respectively.
Southwest border apprehensions in June total 9,848, marking a 94% drop from the Biden administration's average and 96% below the December 2023 peak.
June 2026 saw CBP process $330 billion in imports, identify $22.9 billion in duties, and seize nearly 2 million counterfeit goods valued at over $1.4 billion.

June border data and enforcement trends

As reported by Department of Homeland Security, DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection say June marks the 14th consecutive month with zero releases at the border, extending what the agencies describe as an unprecedented period of low illegal crossings. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin says another month of historically low crossings reflects the administration's border security policies, while CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott says enforcement and deterrence continue to reduce attempted entries.

CBP says its nationwide encounters fall 4% in June to 31,626, while U.S. Border Patrol nationwide apprehensions also decline 4% to 11,396. Along the southwest border, Border Patrol apprehensions total 9,848 in June, which CBP says is 94% below the Biden administration's monthly average, 96% below the December 2023 peak, and less than the number apprehended in four days in June 2024.

The agency also says southwest border apprehensions in the current fiscal year through June are 14% lower than the average for a single month across fiscal years 1992 through 2024. DHS says daily apprehensions are down 94% from the previous administration, with overall levels not seen in more than three decades.

Drug seizures, trade processing and cargo controls

CBP says drug enforcement activity remains elevated even as border crossings decline. Nationwide seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana by weight rise 49% from June 2024, and total drug seizures in the fiscal year through June are 57% higher than in the same period of fiscal 2024.

Fentanyl seizures increase 42% from May 2026 to 1,072 pounds in June, heroin seizures rise 49% to 68 pounds, and cocaine seizures climb 71% to 6,242 pounds. The figures point to sustained pressure on trafficking routes even as migration enforcement data weaken.

CBP also says it processes $330 billion in imports in June 2026 and identifies $22.9 billion in duties for collection. In the same month, the agency stops 372 shipments worth more than $38 million for potential forced labor violations and seizes nearly 2 million counterfeit goods valued at more than $1.4 billion.

Separate agriculture enforcement data for May show CBP issues 5,677 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products. The agency also conducts 104,014 positive passenger inspections and issues 748 civil penalties or violations tied to failures to declare prohibited agriculture items.

Our earlier coverage of DHS rolling back the 2022 public charge rule explained that the Sept. 18, 2026 change restores broader discretion for USCIS officers to weigh an applicant’s circumstances when reviewing visas, admission, and adjustment of status. We noted the accompanying operational shift, including updated Form I-485 requirements and the rejection of older versions submitted on or after the effective date, signaling tighter documentation and financial scrutiny in immigration processing.

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