A significant shift has been observed in the pattern of migrant apprehensions, moving from South Texas toward Southern California. Recent data indicates that the San Diego Sector has become the most active in terms of migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border. During the first three weeks of April alone, San Diego Border Patrol agents encountered nearly 25,000 migrants, marking this sector as the busiest.
This shift is part of a broader westward movement that has been seen over the past year, with apprehensions spreading from the historically busy Rio Grande Valley and Del Rio Sectors in Texas, through Arizona, and now intensifying in California.
Factors Influencing the Shift
The migration of apprehension hotspots from Texas to California can be attributed to several factors, including border enforcement strategies and physical barriers that redirect migrant flows to less fortified areas. Enhanced enforcement actions in Texas, often in cooperation with Mexican authorities, have likely contributed to this westward trend.
As migrants adapt to these enforcement patterns, sectors such as El Paso and Tucson initially saw increases in apprehensions. For instance, Tucson Sector agents apprehended nearly 42,000 migrants in March alone, according to the CBP Southwest Land Border Encounters report. However, by April, the focus had shifted further west to San Diego.
Comparison of Sector Apprehensions
By the third week of April, the San Diego Sector’s apprehensions had overtaken those in El Paso and Tucson, with San Diego arresting nearly 25,000 migrants compared to El Paso’s approximately 22,000 and Tucson’s just over 21,000. This pattern underscores the dynamic nature of migrant movements and the challenges faced by U.S. Border Patrol in managing these flows across different sectors.
Throughout Fiscal Year 24, which began in October, over 1.1 million migrants have been encountered by Border Patrol agents across all sectors, with the Tucson Sector leading these efforts by arresting more than 360,000 migrants. The San Diego Sector follows with over 210,000 arrests, highlighting its growing prominence in border apprehensions.
