Trump Administration's Border Crackdown Slows Illegal Crossings, Strains Migrant Shelters in Mexico

Deportations and border security efforts have reduced crossings to historic lows, but Mexican shelters report lower-than-expected arrivals of deportees.

U.S. Border Patrol agents are now apprehending fewer than 100 migrants per day in sectors like El Paso, a sharp drop from 2023's peak of 1,800 daily crossings.
The Trump administration has deployed additional troops and federal agents to the southern border, ending the 'catch and release' policy and expediting deportations.
Mexican border shelters, prepared for a surge of deportees, remain largely empty, with only 2,000 Mexican migrants entering government facilities in the past month.
Coyotes have increased smuggling fees in some areas, while demand has dropped in others, as migrants face heightened enforcement and deportation risks.
Mexican officials are offering financial incentives to deportees to return to their hometowns, though many migrants express fears of violence and limited options for legal U.S. entry.