(NewsNation) — Border agents “encountered” 8,380 people along the U.S.-Mexico border in April, with an additional 3,650 encountered at various southern border ports, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Encounters refers to the number of people not lawfully in the country that CBP apprehended or those who have turned themselves into a port of entry and are deemed “inadmissible.”
The percentage of unaccompanied children is at 6.9%, up from April of last year when 179,736 people were encountered and 4.7% were unaccompanied minors, according to the CBP.
In March, the number of migrants caught illegally crossing the southern border fell to the lowest level ever recorded, according to figures released by the U.S. government.
The drop follows an array of actions taken by President Donald Trump after returning to the White House on January 20, saying a crackdown was needed after high levels of migration under preceding President Joe Biden.
Trump’s moves included the placement of military troops, implementing a sweeping ban on asylum at the border and mass deportations from the U.S.