Border Patrol encounters in California plummet during first month of Trump administration
The number of migrants encountered by law enforcement at California’s borders dropped sharply during the first full month of the Trump administration, according to new federal data.
About 4,300 people were apprehended while trying to enter California illegally during February, an 85% decline from December, the last full month of the Biden administration, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Similar sharp declines were seen nationwide.
California hasn’t seen that few border encounters since April 2020, amid early COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive actions declaring a national emergency at the southern border, ending a policy that allowed asylum seekers to stay in America while they awaited court action and challenging the guarantee that people born in America are citizens. Many of those orders have been challenged in court.
Trump has pressured foreign leaders to crack down on illegal immigration into America, and deployed military personnel to the border.
Trump also canceled all appointments made by immigrants using an online application called CBP One. That application was created during the Biden administration as a way to encourage migrants seeking asylum to make an appointment at a Border Patrol office instead of attempting a dangerous crossing between ports of entry. Appointments using the app were tallied as encounters in Border Patrol data.
Trump’s actions have increased fear along the border. The New York Times on Sunday reported that “once-crowded migrant shelters are empty. Instead of heading north, people stranded in Mexico are starting to return home in bigger numbers.”
Civil rights groups have harshly criticized Trump’s actions, noting the climate of fear that has taken root among families.
Border encounters had already begun to drop during the Biden administration, which also took steps to deter illegal immigration. In December 2023, there were about 55,800 encounters at the California border. In December 2024, there were about 28,350.
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 8:17 AM.