CBP releases March 2021 operational update

71% increase of border encounters in just one month

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released operational statistics for March 2021, on Thursday.

“CBP has experienced an increase in encounters and arrests. This is not new. Encounters have continued to increase since April 2020, and our past experiences have helped us be better prepared for the challenges we face this year,” shared CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy Miller. “We are committed to balancing the need to maintain border security, care for those in our custody, and keep the American people and our workforce safe.”

CBP Enforcement Numbers

In March 2021, CBP encountered more than 172,000 persons attempting entry along the Southwest border. This is a 71% increase from February's figures.

The number of encounters at the border has been rising since April 2020 due to violence, natural disasters, food insecurity and poverty in Mexico, plus the Northern Triangle countries of Central America. 

This fiscal year CBP has already had over 569,800 encounters, representing an increase of 24% from the total encounters CBP had during all of Fiscal Year 2020, when migration was limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, and an increase of over 34% from approximately the same time frame of Fiscal Year 2019. 

• 1 - Beginning in March FY20, Office of Field Operations (OFO) Encounters statistics include both Title 8  Inadmissibles and Title 42 Expulsions.
  • Inadmissibles refers to individuals encountered at ports of entry who are seeking lawful admission into the United States but are determined to be inadmissible, individuals presenting themselves to seek humanitarian protection under our laws, and individuals who withdraw an application for admission and return to their countries of origin within a short timeframe.
• 2 - Beginning in March FY20,  U.S. Border Patrol Encounters statistics include both Title 8  Apprehensions and Title 42 Expulsions. 
  • Apprehensions refers to the physical control or temporary detainment of a person who is not lawfully in the U.S. which may or may not result in an arrest.

The majority of the encounters on the Southwest border remains single adults. CBP continues to expel single adults and family units that are encountered pursuant to Center for Disease Control guidance under Title 42 authority.

In March 2021, CBP expelled 103,900 individuals under Title 42, 28% of whom were individuals who had been previously expelled from the U.S. under the same authority. Title 42 expulsions represented 60% of the total encounters for the month.

Although less than 11% of encounters in March were unaccompanied children, they make up the largest demographic group of individuals in custody at CBP facilities. 

CBP works in close coordination with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials to quickly transfer processed unaccompanied children to care provider facilities. As bed capacity at these facilities has expanded, the 30-day average of children transferred out of CBP custody has increased, from 276 at the end of February to 507 at the end of March.

CBP has recently seen a return to encounters of large groups, especially in the Rio Grande Valley region. These groups of 100 or more individuals had dropped dramatically due to the pandemic, from 216 in Fiscal Year 2019 to 10 in Fiscal Year 2020.

As of the end of March 2021, CBP recorded 49 large group encounters in Fiscal Year 2021, totaling over 4,700 individuals.