CBP Reports Ten Consecutive Months of Zero Migrant Releases at Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection logged 26,963 nationwide encounters in February, a figure that marked ten consecutive months without a single migrant released into the U.S. interior, according to a DHS media release dated March 19, 2026. The number is down 22% from January and sits 88% below the monthly average recorded during the Biden administration.

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott framed the streak in blunt terms. "February marks the tenth straight month that U.S. Border Patrol has not released a single illegal alien into the interior of the United States, a clear reflection of the enforcement-first posture restoring integrity to our nation's borders," Scott said. He added a second statement on the agency's longer-term posture: "While threats to our national and economic security continue to evolve, so does our resolve to meet them, as we carry out our mission of protecting the homeland while facilitating lawful travel and trade."

The southwest border numbers were sharper still. Agents made 6,603 apprehensions along that stretch in February, a figure CBP described as 92% lower than the monthly average across the past three decades and 97% below the administration's own peak in December 2023. On a daily basis, Border Patrol averaged 236 apprehensions, a 95% drop compared to the previous administration. The agency also reported that February drug seizures reached their highest level since October 2021, though CBP did not publish the raw weights or seizure counts alongside the announcement.

The sustained decline spans more than a year by multiple measures. CBP noted thirteen straight months in which southwest border apprehensions remained below 9,000, a threshold the agency has used as a benchmark for low-traffic periods.

Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued a statement crediting President Donald Trump with delivering on a campaign commitment. "Ten straight months of ZERO illegal aliens released at the border. President Donald Trump promised to secure the Border, and that is a promise we delivered," Noem said. "We have the most secure border in American history. Our borders are CLOSED to lawbreakers."

The DHS release does not include sector-level breakdowns. Specific figures for the El Paso sector, which encompasses Hidalgo County and the Lordsburg area, were not part of the national announcement. Residents and officials seeking sector-specific data can request it directly from the CBP El Paso Sector public affairs office or access the CBP public data portal at cbp.gov, where sector-by-sector encounter dashboards are maintained and updated monthly.