Leaked government data shows Border Patrol arrested just under 98,701 illegal immigrants in fiscal 2026. This number marks the lowest annual total at the southern border in at least 59 years. The figures come from Customs and Border Protection and were obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Fiscal 2026 ran from October 2025 through September 2026. The average number of people encountered each month was 8,225. This stands in stark contrast to the 2.2 million arrests made during former President Joe Biden’s first full year in office. That 2022 total was more than 95 percent higher than the recent count.
The Washington Examiner reported that the 2026 figure is lower than any year since 1967. Back then, Border Patrol made 94,778 arrests across the entire nation. The southern border usually sees more than 90 percent of all illegal immigrant arrests in the country. Between 2010 and 2020, annual arrests usually stayed between 300,000 and 500,000.
During the first term, arrests dropped quickly in 2017 but rose again later. Mexican cartels realized policies had not changed and their methods would prevail. The Biden administration faced a crisis that brought millions to the U.S. Roughly 5 million people were released into the country from the border. Parole programs enabled hundreds of thousands more to arrive by air from overseas.
Republicans claimed immigration promises enticed people from around the world to travel here. The Biden administration ceased the practice of rejecting unaccompanied child migrants. They also attempted to halt Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations for 100 days. Construction on the border wall was suspended during this time.
While the border numbers tell one story, a different investigation is happening in Texas. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar launched a criminal investigation into Trump supporters. This follows a recent rally in San Antonio where agitators tried to disrupt the event. The Breitbart reported on the Sheriff’s actions.
President Donald Trump held a get-out-the-vote rally on October 7 at the Joe Freeman Coliseum. A full house watched the event, with more than a thousand attendees outside. Inside, agitators shouted at Trump and other listeners. Authorities removed about 18 agitators and issued two warnings for criminal trespass.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that no arrests were made at the event. Sheriff Salazar started a social media campaign to identify people involved in skirmishes. He said he does not know if crimes were committed yet. The office is seeking public help to find witnesses or participants.
Salazar previously investigated migrant flights from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in September 2022. He alleged that migrants were lured with falsified information. His prosecutors interviewed thirteen migrants listed as victims in that case. The report states that “not a single person said they boarded the plane under fear or intimidation” and “none indicated they went against their free will.”
Democrats and immigrant rights groups have touted the impact of the pandemic. They point to the halt on global travel and economic downturn as reasons for lower numbers. The leaked data now shows the border is seeing the fewest arrests in nearly six decades. The question remains whether this trend will continue as the new fiscal year begins.
