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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Was 2021 a record-breaking year for US-Mexico border crossings?

By Robyn Sundlee
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YES

In 2021, more than 1.73 million undocumented immigrants were encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border—the highest ever recorded in a single year. The previous record of 1.69 million was set in 1986. Customs and Border Protection keeps yearly records of border encounters dating back to 1925.

CBP also keeps monthly records dating back to 2000. Among these, the highest number of encounters in a single month occurred in March 2000, when 223,305 encounters were recorded. July, the top month for encounters in 2021, was about 10,000 shy at 213,593 encounters.

Customs and Border Protection cited "violence, natural disasters, food insecurity and poverty" in Central American countries as responsible for the high number of encounters. Apprehensions of individual migrants also sharply increased after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, most border encounters involved families.

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Source: USAFacts, Customs and Border Protection
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Customs and Border Protection Nationwide Encounters Fiscal Years 1925 - 2020
US Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol Monthly Apprehensions (FY 2000 - FY 2020)
US Customs and Border Protection Southwest Land Border Encounters
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.