200,000 cross border into California daily, group says

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Almost 200,000 people cross the border daily through California ports of entry, according to figures compiled during the first four months of 2024 by the San Diego-based Smart Border Coalition.

The figure includes commuters in cars and pedestrians heading north into California.

The group, which aims to improve travel through the ports of entry in the San Diego-Tijuana binational region, says during this time frame, almost 13 million people entered the U.S. in vehicles with another 4.6 million on foot.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry was the busiest with almost 8 million crossings. Otay Mesa was second with 3.3 million.

Ports of entry in the Mexicali-Calexico region processed close to 3 million border commuters during the first trimester this year.

The Smart Border Coalition, which gathers its data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, says another 556,000 people paid to enter the U.S. via the Cross Border Xpress, a terminal that connects the U.S. to the Tijuana airport.

It also reports that during the first four months of this year, 40 percent of border commuters entering the U.S. had Sentri or Global Entry status, meaning they have been pre-screened and vetted to enter the U.S. quickly and without much scrutiny by CBP officers.