Migrant Crossings Plummet At California-Mexico Border

Photo:Center for Migration Studies

India-West News Desk

SAN DIEGO, CA – The California-Mexico border, once a hotspot for mass migration, has seen a dramatic drop in crossings, leaving previously crowded shelters and makeshift camps nearly empty.

According to the Los Angeles Times, migrant arrivals have slowed to a near halt, prompting shelters that once provided aid to close their doors. Many nonprofit organizations have redirected their focus to assisting long-term immigrants facing deportation and migrants stranded in southern Mexico.

Illegal immigration was a key driver in Trump’s election campaign, and he has thrown resources at it, including deploying the US Army.  The U.S. Border Patrol, aided by 750 military personnel, has reinforced six miles of the border wall with additional concertina wire.

The San Diego sector of the Border Patrol is now reporting only 30 to 40 arrests per day—an enormous decline from the peak of more than 1,200 daily apprehensions in April, the Los Angeles Times said.

Federal prosecutors in San Diego have handled over 1,000 border-related criminal cases this fiscal year, while Mexico, responding to past tariff threats from the Trump administration, has stationed 10,000 National Guard troops at its northern border. These troops now collaborate with U.S. authorities through regular joint patrols.

Thousands of migrants had previously gathered in areas dubbed as ‘Whiskey 8,’ where asylum seekers would wait between two parallel fences for processing.

However, since mid-February, the flow of migrants has slowed significantly. The last reported group seen at Whiskey 8 consisted of about 20 individuals, mostly from India and China, the report said.

With migrant arrests down 70% compared to the same period last year, Border Patrol officials anticipate a shift in migration tactics. Agents expect an increase in attempts to enter California by boat as land routes become more restricted the Los Angeles Times said.