SAN DIEGO — In November, U.S. officials reported around 46,700 arrests for illegally crossing the Mexico border, representing a 17% decrease from the previous month. This figure marks a new low during President Joe Biden’s administration.

The recent arrest numbers showcase a significant decline of more than 80% compared to a peak of nearly 250,000 apprehensions recorded in December, challenging forecasts that suggested an anticipated uptick ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.

In addition to the arrests at the southern border, there were roughly 700 apprehensions recorded at the Canadian border in November, a drop from 1,283 in October. The information was provided by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection source who preferred to remain unnamed, as the data is preliminary and not yet disclosed to the public.

Last week, Trump announced plans for imposing extensive tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China once he assumes office, as part of his strategy to tackle illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He voiced strong concerns regarding the surge of migrants entering the U.S. unlawfully, which received a notable reaction from Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, who pointed out the significant decline in apprehensions this year.

The reduction in arrests at the Mexican border can be attributed to enhanced enforcement by Mexican authorities as of December, which resulted in a near 50% drop. Furthermore, the implementation of strict asylum-seeking restrictions by the Biden administration contributed to an additional decline in numbers.

With the November statistics reflecting a 16% decrease from October’s 56,530 arrests, the current totals are the lowest since July 2020 when 38,536 arrests were documented. Moreover, this month’s figures are lower than every monthly total from October 2018 through August 2019 during Trump’s first term in office.