U.S. Authorities Achieve Historic 13-Month Streak of Zero Illegal Asylum Releases

By Jim Thomas | Thursday, June 18, 2026

U.S. Customs and Border Protection data reveals that authorities have completed a 13th consecutive month without releasing any illegal border crossers into the country to pursue asylum claims.

The milestone comes as Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border dropped to 9,998 in May—the lowest monthly total in more than three decades. This figure represents an average of 323 apprehensions per day and is 94% below the average monthly count during the Biden administration and 96% below peak levels from prior periods when a single Border Patrol sector recorded approximately 17,000 apprehensions over five days.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited this trend to President Donald Trump’s enforcement policies. “Thirteen straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history,” he stated.

This decline aligns with statements made by former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in January 2024 that the release rate for apprehended illegal immigrants was “above 85%.”

The drop in crossings has allowed Border Patrol agents to shift focus toward counternarcotics operations. According to CBP, combined seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana rose 32% in May compared with May 2024. Fentanyl seizures increased by 72% from April, and marijuana seizures were 61% above the fiscal 2024 monthly average. Overall narcotics seizures are 56% higher than during the comparable period of fiscal 2024.

CBP states that this surge in drug seizures is squeezing cartel revenue—including from organizations designated as foreign terrorist entities by the Trump administration—and that reducing fentanyl availability is helping lower overdose deaths. The agency also noted that the sharp decline in illegal crossings has enabled agents to return to their core border security mission.