US-Mexico border arrests decrease in January

The number of people arrested or stopped for immigration violations at the U.S. border with Mexico eased in January. It’s a relatively small decline in line with seasonal trends.

Customs and Border Protection says it made 58,207 arrests or denials of entry. That’s a 4 percent drop from December but a 62 percent increase from January 2018. It’s the second straight month-to-month decline.

Families and children traveling alone accounted for about 6 of every 10 stopped, mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. That’s a dramatic change from several years ago when most people who crossed illegally into the U.S. were single Mexican adults.

Officials say there have been 60 groups of larger than 100 people crossing illegally since Oct. 1.