98,701: Record Low for Southern Border Arrests in Fiscal Year

A group of more than 100 migrants is currently moving through southeastern Mexico, aiming for the U.S. southern border. The participants, primarily from Central America, began their journey in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on September 20, 2026. They carry signs with Spanish slogans including 'Emigrar no es un delito,' which translates to 'Migrating is not a crime,' and 'Faith and hope.'

Gabriela Macías, a Honduran woman traveling with an infant in a stroller, spoke to reporters about the group's intentions. She addressed the leadership in both Mexico and the United States directly. 'We ask the president of Mexico to let us pass and Trump to open the border,' Macías said. She added that the group seeks to work because they are in need. Local onlookers in Mexico cheered the group with calls of 'Long live the Chiapanecos.'

The Department of Homeland Security has been referencing the caravan in recent social media posts to reinforce its anti-immigration messaging ahead of the midterm elections. On October 27, 2026, the agency posted a video on X comparing the current situation to a 2021 caravan. The post criticized former President Joe Biden, stating that the border crisis was a deliberate policy choice. It claimed that under President Trump, the crisis has been 'obliterated.'

The department’s social media also highlights statistics from the current administration. It claims there have been 17 months of a 'secure border.' The agency asserts that 2 million irregular crossings occurred during the Biden administration and that this number has dropped by 98 percent under Trump. It also reports a 95 percent reduction in Border Patrol encounters since 2021. A pinned post notes that 4.7 million migrants were released during the previous administration, compared to zero releases in the current one.

Internal data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection obtained by the Washington Examiner confirms the decline in apprehensions. Border Patrol agents assigned to the southern border arrested 98,701 undocumented immigrants during fiscal year 2026, which ran from October 2025 to September 2026. This figure represents the lowest annual total in at least 59 years. The average monthly interception rate was 8,225 people.

Four years ago, the monthly average for intercepts and detentions was 183,000. That means the agency caught more people in a single month four years ago than in the entire previous 12 months combined. Border Patrol records do not specify how many detentions occurred solely on the southern border since the agency's creation in 1924, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly when such a low annual figure was last recorded.

The caravan continues its northward progress through Mexico. Federal officials have not yet issued a new statement regarding the specific logistics of the current group's arrival. The next scheduled public update from the Department of Homeland Security is expected later this week.