Illegal crossings at the southwest border fell to their lowest level in U.S. history during the past fiscal year, according to preliminary fiscal 2026 data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Southwest border apprehensions dropped 95% from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026, CBP said. The agency announced the milestone Saturday but did not publish its September data.

An estimate from The Center Square placed September encounters and apprehensions nationwide at close to 30,000. That monthly figure remained between 30,000 and 34,000 throughout the year except in February, according to CBP data.

17 months of ZERO releases.

Border crossings have collapsed to historic lows thanks to the policies of @POTUS Trump and the heroic work of our @CBP agents and officers. https://t.co/R9nHftzm7p — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 16, 2026

Southwest border apprehension totals ranged from 9,000 to 12,000 during the fiscal year. At the northern border, apprehensions fluctuated between 3,500 and 6,500.

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Nearly 350,000 people had been apprehended nationwide through Aug. 31. That represented a dramatic decline from the record 3.2 million apprehensions reported in 2023, according to CBP data.

The Trump administration called fiscal 2026 “the first-ever fiscal year with zero Border Patrol releases. September marked the 17th consecutive month with ZERO releases.”

Federal policy, however, provides for unaccompanied alien children to be released into the country, including to sponsors. CBP data through Aug. 31 showed 8,348 unaccompanied alien children reported nationwide during fiscal 2026, including 7,608 at the southwest border.

“FY 2026 demonstrated what focused enforcement, strong partnerships, and the commitment of our frontline personnel can achieve,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement. “DHS and CBP are securing the border, stopping dangerous drugs and criminals, protecting communities, and ensuring our personnel have the resources necessary for this critical mission.”

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CBP credited its enforcement posture with driving Border Patrol apprehensions between ports of entry to an agency record low of fewer than 99,000. The figure is higher when apprehensions at ports of entry are included, with total southwest border apprehensions reaching 128,000 through Aug. 31.

Preliminary CBP data showed 379,243 nationwide encounters in fiscal 2026, the lowest total in the agency’s history. That compared with 2.7 million annual encounters reported under the Biden administration and marked an 88% decline from fiscal 2023, which had the most encounters in U.S. history.

Neither the Biden administration nor the Trump administration publicly releases gotaway data showing how many foreign nationals illegally cross between ports of entry while intentionally evading capture. More than 2 million gotaways were reported under the Biden administration, according to data obtained from Border Patrol agents by The Center Square.

Gotaways continue crossing under the Trump administration. In Texas, Operation Lone Star border security personnel are apprehending them while working with Border Patrol, while federal troops are responding to cartel shootings and supporting CBP and Border Patrol operations.

CBP said the 95% decline reflected “sustained enforcement and the deterrent effect of a secure border. Illegal aliens have received a clear message: don’t try to enter the country illegally, or you will be apprehended, detained, and deported.”

The agency also said those policies were “saving lives by reducing unlawful crossings, leading to a dramatic decline in border-related deaths,” but did not provide the number of deaths.

At the same time, more Americans and noncitizens have been shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Three shootings occurred in Texas, resulting in the deaths of two Hispanic men, including one U.S. citizen, and the second Houston shooting prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to seek a state investigation.

ICE and Border Patrol agents have also faced violence, with assaults against ICE increasing more than 1,700% nationwide. Federal agents in Texas have been targeted by shootings, bomb threats, white powder sent through the mail, and other threats.

The administration has completed 250 miles of new border barrier construction along the southwest border since Jan. 20, 2025. Through the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” CBP obligated $34.3 billion for Smart Wall projects, though several billion dollars went to construction companies with histories of scandals.

The administration is also facing a lawsuit over border wall construction in Texas’ Big Bend region. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court after a federal judge halted construction.

Preliminary CBP data also showed record drug seizures of nearly one million pounds during fiscal 2026. The agency said that was a 63% increase over the annual average of 600,000 pounds recorded during the previous four years.

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