Abandoned buses and vacant Border Patrol vessels: Illegal crossing arrests decline in the Rio Grande Valley

MISSION, Texas — This week, a Border Patrol bus remained inactive and ready for any migrants who might choose to surrender near the southern edge of Texas.

Agents patrolling the area in two speedboats glided past sandy banks, which are commonly used as landing areas for individuals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. from Mexico on inner tubes; however, they found no evidence of suspicious activity.

What were once bustling river crossings close to Mission, a Texas border city, lay desolate, absent of the migrants who typically crossed there. The banks of the river were scattered with discarded clothing, plastic bracelets handed out by smugglers, and even a teddy bear on a particularly cold Thursday morning.

Arrests for illegal border crossings have seen a steep decline from a staggering monthly peak of 250,000 recorded in December 2022. This trend is especially apparent in the Rio Grande Valley, a region that had become a central hub for migrants between 2013 and 2022.

During a five-hour patrol along the Rio Grande Valley, journalists observed that not a single migrant was encountered by the Border Patrol agents traveling in an SUV and by speedboat for 30 miles.

The current figures indicate arrests have dropped significantly and are at their lowest levels since 2019 when Donald Trump assumed the presidency on January 20. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks highlighted that arrests now average around 350 each day, a significant reduction from over 1,500 daily occurrences recorded in December, the last month for which data is publicly available.

Agents in the Rio Grande Valley, which houses approximately 1.4 million residents, have been making about 50 arrests daily, compared to an average of 325 in December and nearly 3,000 on the peak days of 2021.

Despite the current decrease in migrant crossings, Trump had declared a national emergency at the border on his very first day in office.

In a recent immigration policy memo by the newly appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi, she stated: “Unlawful border crossings and illegal migration into the United States have reached record levels, resulting in a substantial and unacceptable threat to our national security and public safety.”

On Thursday night, arrests were made along the Rio Grande, following a shooting incident that occurred the previous day. Reports indicate that a Border Patrol agent discharged their weapon at an individual involved in a suspected smuggling operation in Boca Chica, resulting in injuries to one suspect.

However, by Thursday morning, no migrants were observed along the river in former hotspots like Mission, a city housing 87,000 residents where asylum seekers had been waiting in open fields near a busy international bridge merely a month prior.

Increased enforcement by Mexican authorities within their territory, coupled with stringent U.S. asylum policies, has significantly impacted the rates of illegal crossings ahead of Trump’s administration.

In recent years, the Texas National Guard and state police have played a prominent role under Governor Greg Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star,” a substantial financial commitment aimed at border enforcement. Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection permitted the Texas Guard to make arrests and detain individuals for illegal crossings, a responsibility previously reserved for the federal government.

On Thursday, 300 Texas Guard members were sworn in to work alongside Border Patrol agents, amplifying their presence and authority along the border.