McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — The number of new U.S. immigration court cases dropped significantly in June after new asylum rules were put in place on the Southwest border, according to new data.
The number of new immigration cases nationwide was about 100,000 in June — that’s down about 40,000 cases from May, according to Transaction Records Access Clearinghouse of Syracuse University, a nonprofit group that tracks court cases.
The drop came after President Joe Biden issued new rules in early June that prevent asylum consideration for those entering between U.S. legal ports of entry or without an asylum appointment via the CBP One app. Migrants who are encountered must tell agents that they fear returning to their home countries or meet other strenuous circumstances to receive a credible fear interview and be considered for U.S. asylum. Otherwise, they face removal, detention or deportation.
Under the new rules, migrants will be considered for asylum if they are unaccompanied children, have an acute medical condition, or are victims of extreme forms of human trafficking.
The drop in cases is notable among citizens from Venezuela. In December 2023, Venezuelans made up one out of every five new immigration cases and totaled 54,549 that month, TRAC reports. But in June, the number of cases dropped by 76% to 13,085.
Mexican nationals with U.S. immigration cases dropped 63% during that same time period from 44,650 to 16,302, TRAC reports.
The Border Patrol’s seven-day encounter average has decreased to below 1,900 encounters per day on the Southwest, the agency stated Monday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday released encounter data for June, which was the lowest monthly total since January 2021.
CBP reports that more than 70,000 people have been removed or returned to over 170 countries on over 150 flights since the new asylum order went into effect.
“Total removals and returns over the past year exceed removals and returns in any fiscal year since 2010 and a majority of all southwest border encounters during the past three fiscal years resulted in a removal, return, or expulsion,” CBP reported.
So far in Fiscal Year 2024, there have been 1.3 million encounters on the Southwest border, the agency reports.
Republican politicians say this remains unacceptable.
“Another month, another devastating number of inadmissible aliens entering and being released into the United States—all at the invitation of President Biden,” U.S. rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Monday.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.