'Main hotspot' at northern border records 95% drop in illegal migrant apprehensions in March: White House

Only 54 illegal immigrants were apprehended last month in the Swanton Sector, which stretches more than 300 miles, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"This is a drastic 95% drop from the more than a thousand border crossings that were caught in March 2024," she said. "This is a main hotspot area that recorded more than 80% of all apprehensions along the northern border during the 2024 fiscal year."

The apprehensions amounted to more than the past 17 years combined, authorities said. In FY 2020, the agents assigned to the sector apprehended 574 illegal immigrants, followed by 365 the next year.

On Monday, Garcia called the difference between the 1,109 apprehensions in March 2024 and last month a "stark contrast."

"Our mission of border security never stops; people are still smuggling humans & contraband entering the country illegally," he wrote on X.

In February, Border Patrol agents caught and released only 20 illegal immigrants, she added.