CBP Releases December 2023 Monthly Update




Release Date
Fri, 01/26/2024




WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today released monthly operational statistics for December 2023.

CBP monthly reporting can be viewed online.

“The men and women of CBP continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws at and between ports of entry and continue to work with our Mexican partners along our shared border. CBP remains vigilant to respond to the serious challenges we are experiencing across the southwest border,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller. “CBP continues to use all available resources to ensure the safety and security of our agents and officers, and the migrants who are often misled and victimized by the transnational criminal organizations. But as we have repeatedly said, CBP and our federal partners need additional support from Congress so that we can continue to effectuate consequences for those who do not use established lawful pathways.”

CBP continues to work closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to quickly process individuals encountered at the border and remove those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States, utilizing consequences strengthened by the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule.

From May 2023 to December 31, DHS removed or returned a record number of individuals—over 472,000—the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest border, including more than 78,800 individual family members.

The majority of all individuals encountered at the southwest border over the past three years have been removed, returned, or expelled.

Total removals and returns since mid-May exceed removals and returns in every full fiscal year since 2015.

Below are key operational statistics for CBP’s primary mission areas in December 2023. View all CBP statistics online.

Ensuring Border Security and Managing Migration

CBP has taken significant steps to surge personnel and resources to impacted areas and address challenges we are experiencing across the southwest border.

Encounter numbers continue to fluctuate, as smugglers and bad actors continue to spread falsehoods and show complete disregard for the safety and well-being of vulnerable migrants. We remain vigilant and stand ready to ensure the safety of our personnel, migrants, and local communities, and the security of our southwest border.

CBP is targeting and disrupting transnational criminal organizations and smugglers who take advantage of and profit from migrants. CBP continually analyzes and responds to changes in migration patterns, particularly irregular migration outside of legal pathways and border crossings, and works with our federal and international partners to combat human smuggling.

In December 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 249,785 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border. CBP’s total encounters along the southwest border in December were 302,034. Consistent with historical trends and enhanced enforcement, the first two weeks of January saw an over 50% decrease in southwest border encounters between ports of entry according to preliminary figures.

CBP’s message for anyone who is thinking of attempting to circumvent lawful pathways to enter the United States is simple: don’t do it.

When noncitizens cross the border unlawfully, they put their lives in peril. The U.S. Border Patrol has undertaken significant efforts in recent years to expand capacity to aid and rescue individuals in distress.

To prevent the loss of life, CBP initiated a Missing Migrant Program in 2017 that locates noncitizens reported missing, rescues individuals in distress, and reunifies decedents’ remains with their families in the border region.

In December, the U.S. Border Patrol conducted 386 rescues, totaling 1,362 rescues in FY 2024.


View more migration statistics and rescues statistics.


https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/nationa...monthly-update