DHS and CBP report 15th straight month of zero border releases as crossings stay low

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DHS, CBP 15 months zero releases

Highlights

DHS and CBP report 15 consecutive months of zero border releases with July 2026 southwest border apprehensions down 6% from June and 94% below Biden administration's monthly average.
Combined nationwide seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana rise 26% in July 2026 versus July 2024, with fiscal year-to-date seizures up 54%.
CBP processes $342 billion in July 2026 imports, identifies $23 billion in duties, stops $83 million in shipments for forced labor violations, and seizes $2 billion in counterfeit goods.

July border enforcement figures and policy backdrop

According to the Department of Homeland Security, DHS said in a statement that the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have recorded 15 consecutive months of zero releases at the border, alongside what the agencies describe as historically low crossing levels.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration's border security agenda is restoring order, while CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott said enforcement policies and frontline operations are producing results. The agencies say apprehensions are running at levels not seen in more than three decades, with daily apprehensions down 94% from the previous administration.

According to the July figures, U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border total 9,295, down 6% from June. Nationwide apprehensions reach 11,298 in July, 1% lower than the previous month. DHS and CBP also say southwest border apprehensions are 94% below the Biden administration's monthly average, 96% below the December 2023 peak, and lower than the number apprehended in six days in July 2024.

The agencies add that fiscal year-to-date apprehensions through July along the southwest border are lower than the average for a single month in each fiscal year from 1992 through 2024.

Drug seizures, trade flows and economic enforcement

CBP says its enforcement activity also includes higher narcotics seizures and broad trade oversight. In July, combined nationwide seizures by weight of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana are 26% higher than in July 2024, while fiscal year drug seizures through July are 54% above the same period of FY 2024.

Fentanyl seizures rise 3% from June 2026 to 1,054 pounds in July 2026, and heroin seizures increase 20% from June 2026 to 79 pounds. CBP says the agency is working to block illicit drugs before they reach U.S. communities.

On the trade side, CBP processes $342 billion in imports in July 2026 and identifies $23 billion in duties for collection. The agency also says it stops 300 shipments worth more than $83 million for potential forced labor violations and seizes 2.9 million counterfeit goods valued at more than $2 billion.

CBP's agriculture specialists issue 6,554 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products in July. The agency also conducts 114,147 positive passenger inspections and issues 704 civil penalties or violations for failure to declare prohibited agricultural items.

Congressional scrutiny of DHS spending has intensified after two senior Senate Democrats questioned the department’s purchase of 12 aircraft, including five luxury jets. In our earlier report, the lawmakers argued the acquisitions may lack congressional authorization, urged DHS to sell the planes and return the funds, and called for an inspector general review. They also framed the dispute as part of a broader debate over whether DHS funding is being directed to frontline operational priorities rather than executive travel.

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