The number of illegal immigrant arrests at the U.S. southern border dropped sharply in the first month of 2023 but still broke the record for January.
Apprehensions of immigrants who illegally crossed into the country from Mexico totaled 156,274 in January, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP). That was a 40 percent drop from December 2022, but the highest ever for the month of January.
Administration officials attributed the decrease to new policies that have been implemented at President Joe Biden’s direction, such as a program that enables nationals from four countries, including Cuba, to gain work authorization if they meet certain criteria….