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Custody and Transfer Statistics

Fiscal Year 2024 runs from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

OFO Monthly Southwest Border Credible Fear Inadmissibles by Disposition

Disposition Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
Expedited Removal-Credible Fear (ERCF)1 1,758 1,219 1,021 879 845 997
Notice To Appear (NTA)2 46,352 46,017 46,036 44,078 42,304 43,827
Notice To Appear (NTA)-Person Released 0 0 0 0 0 0
Notice To Appear (NTA)-Person Detained 0 0 0 0 0 0
Visa Waiver Program (VWP)- Removal-Limited Review3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Visa Waiver Program (VWP)- Removal-Refusal Review3 0 0 1 0 1 2
Stowaway-Limited Review3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total Credible Fear Inadmissibles 48,110 47,236 47,058 44,957 43,150 44,826

Title 8 Inadmissibles

Field Office Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
El Paso 7,574 7,617 7,578 7,630 7,181 7,720
Laredo 24,439 24,225 24,826 24,844 23,647 24,573
San Diego 15,996 15,420 15,826 15,479 14,538 15,467
Tucson 4,169 4,032 4,014 4,032 3,910 4,132
Total 52,178 51,294 52,244 51,985 49,276 51,892

OFO Monthly Southwest Border Credible Fear Inadmissibles by Program

Program Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)- Initial returns 0 0 0 0 0 0
Asylum Cooperative Agreement (ACA) Program - Expedited Removal - Credible Fear (ERCF) 0 0 0 0 0 0
ACA - Notice to Appear (NTA) 0 0 0 0 0 0
Humanitarian Asylum Review Process (HARP) Program -Expedited Removal - Credible Fear (ERCF) 0 0 0 0 0 0
HARP - Notice to Appear 0 0 0 0 0 0

OFO Monthly Southwest Border Credible Fear by Transfer Destination

Destination Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
Federal/State/Local Facility 127 87 85 114 115 104
ICE/ERO 2,011 1,564 1,355 1,145 1,130 1,343
ICE/HSI 0 2 2 0 0 0
OFO 0 0 0 0 0 0
Return to Foreign 5 15 9 1 2 4
USBP 318 359 434 639 623 539
Total 2,461 2,027 1,885 1,899 1,870 1,990

1 Includes subjects who indicated a desire to seek asylum or a fear of persecution in Office of Field Operations’ (OFO) custody at a port of entry. OFO refers all such claims to USCIS for a credible fear interview. Credible fear may be claimed at any time prior to removal.

2 This number reflects instances where OFO exercises its discretion and issues a Notice to Appear (NTA) to initiate removal proceedings before an immigration judge. This does not include NTAs issued at the discretion of other DHS components with authority to issue NTAs. In the event of being processed for removal with an NTA, individuals have up to one year to seek asylum while in proceedings before the immigration judge.

3 The term "limited review" refers to the process of an immigration judge considering claims of US citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residence, Asylum or Refugee status.

Field Operations - Southwest Border In Custody1

Detention Capacity Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
In Custody Capacity 902 902 902 902 902 902
% 564 (62.53%)2 654 (72.51%)2 646 (71.62%)2 608 (67.41%)2 599 (66.41%)2 621 (68.85%)2

1 Represents an estimate of each cell's coded occupancy limit, as outlined in technical design standards when constructed, multiplied by the total number of cells for all ports of entry within each field office. This number does not account for the unique circumstances that may limit the occupancy of a given cell (e.g., high risk, nursing/pregnant, transgender, unaccompanied minor, etc.) nor does it reflect operational limitations that affect a port's capacity to detain. CBP’s capacity to detain individuals in its short-term facilities depends on many factors, including: demographics of the individual in custody; medical or other needs of individuals in custody; ability of ICE ERO (or, if an unaccompanied child, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) to transfer individuals out of CBP custody; and OFO's available resources to safely process and hold individuals.

2 Represents the average number of travelers in custody on a daily basis averaged over the 30-day period, at all Southwest Border Field Office locations. Travelers include inadmissible individuals, lawful permanent residents, asylees, refugees, and United States Citizens who are being detained to verify wants, warrants, criminal, administrative or other judicial process.

OFO Southwest Border T8

Category Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
Title 8 52, 178 51,294 52,244 51,985 49,276 51,892

As of Fiscal Year 2024 (starting October 1, 2023), Title 19 and Title 42 numbers are no longer updated. Title 19 travel restrictions were lifted May 23, 2023, and Title 42 expired on May 11, 2023. Please see previous fiscal year encounters at the bottom of this page for these statistics.

USBP Monthly Southwest Border Encounters by Processing Disposition

The processing disposition decision related to each apprehension is made on a case-by-case basis. As dispositions are subject to change throughout the process, the data below does not necessarily reflect final dispositions or removals in all cases.

Processing Disposition Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
Notice To Appear/Own Recognizance (NTA-OR) 122,709 131,290 191,867 70,431 76,994 78,098
Paroles 1 1 0 0 1 0
Notice to Report (NTR) 0 0 0 0 0 0
Expedited Removal (ER) 27,114 22,138 20,815 23,554 29,116 25,491
Reinstatement of Prior Order of Removal 6,616 6,324 6,647 5,591 6,572 6,959
Warrant of Arrest/Notice To Appear - (Detained) 11,656 12,858 14,259 9,799 9,815 8,087
Voluntary Return 20,332 18,158 15,680 14,534 17,867 18,393
MPP 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other1 326 350 469 286 273 452
Total Title 8 Apprehensions 188,754 191,119 249,737 124,204 140,638 137,480

1 Processing dispositions may include subjects that do not yet have a final disposition at the time the data was collected or subjects processed under the visa waiver program, turned over to, etc.
 

USBP Monthly Southwest Border Apprehensions by Transfer Destination

Following processing, U.S. Border Patrol arranges transfer of individuals to the appropriate entity based on disposition and other factors such as criminal charges. The transfer destinations below are representative of the time data was aggregated. The data does not reflect subsequent transfer destinations after subjects leave Border Patrol custody and are subject to change if an individual returns to U.S. Border Patrol custody during the same event.

Transfer Destination Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
Humanitarian Release 122,715 131,321 191,846 70,427 76,020 78,007
Federal1 30,388 28,487 30,578 26,049 33,078 23,680
Federal - Northern Triangle Repatriation Flights 6,789 6,431 6,184 2,729 2,700 2,073
Federal - Mexican Repatriation Flights 262 0 0 11 2 3
Port of Entry (Non-MPP) 26,055 22,738 19,074 23,104 25,214 26,570
Port of Entry (MPP) 0 0 0 0 0 0
State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies 1,602 1,185 1,123 1,603 2,203 2,022
Other2 914 952 879 232 411 2,649
Total Title 8 Transfers 188,725 191,114 249,684 124,155 140,628 135,004

1 Manifested as turned over to other Federal agencies, to include Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Health and Human Services, U.S. Marshals, etc.

2 Includes subjects that have not been transferred out of USBP custody at the time the data was collected or subjects manifested as transferred to hospital, paroled, etc.

USBP Average Daily Subjects In Custody by Southwest Border Sector

U.S. Border Patrol facilities, such as stations and central processing centers, provide short-term holding capacity for the processing and transfer of individuals encountered by agents. Maximum facility capacity along the Southwest border is approximately 21,000, which assumes a homogenous population and full operating status at all facilities. Actual capacity fluctuates constantly based on characteristics of in-custody population, to include demographics, gender, criminality, etc.

Sector Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24
Big Bend 6 7 54 6 7 8
Del Rio 1,933 2,210 3,304 716 609 414
El Centro 299 296 205 108 218 105
El Paso 2,038 1,666 3,193 1,763 2,185 1,998
Laredo 1,916 1,560 1,325 553 1,265 801
Rio Grande 3,009 2,548 3,721 2,249 1,855 1,690
San Diego 2,031 2,346 2,469 1,436 1,891 1,945
Tucson 2,038 2,859 3,876 1,724 1,748 1,255
Yuma 1,012 900 1,054 655 953 1,025
Total 14,283 14,392 19,199 9,211 10,731 9,241

USBP Southwest Border SPP Program Apprehensions Since Program Inception

Apprehension Data includes Deportable Migrants Only

Data Source: EID through BPERT (Unofficial) as of 4/04/2024

SPP Program SPP Program Type Inception Date Apprehensions Since Inception
MPP NTA Program 1/28/2019 82,232
ENV Removal Modality 8/5/2019 87,545
PACR ER Program 10/7/2019 3,080
HARP ER Program 10/28/2019 691
ACA_GUAT ER Program 11/19/2019 1,491
IRI/IFP Removal Modality 12/19/2019 31,678

Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)

The Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) is an exercise of the Department of Homeland Security’s express statutory authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to return certain applicants for admission, or those who enter illegally between the ports of entry, who are subject to removal proceedings under INA Section 240 Removal Proceedings to Mexico pending removal proceedings.
 

Prompt Asylum Claim Review (PACR)

The Prompt Asylum Claim Review (PACR) pathway was developed by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to promptly address credible fear claims of amenable individuals.
 

Asylum Cooperative Agreement (ACA)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), have executed Asylum Cooperative Agreements (ACAs) to facilitate the transfer of individuals to a third country where they will have access to full and fair procedures for determining their protection claims, based on the ACAs.
 

Humanitarian Asylum Review Process (HARP)

The Humanitarian Asylum Review Process (HARP), was developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to promptly address credible fear claims of amenable Mexican nationals.
 

Electronic Nationality Verification

Under the Electronic Nationality Verification (ENV) program U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), remove eligible noncitizens with a final order of removal to their native countries.
 

Interior Repatriation Initiative (IRI)

Under the Interior Repatriation Initiative (IRI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) and the Mexican Ministry of the Interior, remove eligible noncitizens from Mexico to the interior of Mexico.

Related Resources

Last Modified: Apr 12, 2024