Washington, D.C. – The sweltering sun doesn’t discriminate, much like the yearning in people’s hearts. It bears down on the desert, on every dream, every weary footstep across the U.S.-Mexico border. But the tide of humanity has shifted, and for now, fewer footsteps echo in the sand. Since President Joe Biden signed an executive order in June 2024, encounters at the southern border have fallen dramatically—by nearly 68% compared to the previous year. It is a number, a cold, hard fact, but behind every statistic there lies a person, a family, a hope.
A Shifting Landscape at the Border
August brought with it a quieting of the surge, with just 58,000 encounters reported between the ports of entry. For many, this is a sign of success, the result of firm hands and swift policy. Biden’s executive order, inked on a hot summer day in June, aimed to fortify immigration enforcement and streamline legal pathways. The promise was clear: fewer crossings, more order. The numbers speak to this. August 2023 had seen 181,000 encounters—an overwhelming crush of souls. Now, there is space for reflection, but not without controversy.
The change, many say, is a result of new tools, such as the CBP One mobile app. This piece of technology, so simple in its form, has transformed the border landscape, giving migrants a way to schedule appointments at ports of entry. It has, in some ways, brought a sense of order where chaos once reigned. In August alone, over 44,000 individuals crossed not in the dark of night but with an appointment in hand, a phone in their pocket.
New Tools, New Questions
CBP One, launched in January 2023, has now scheduled more than 813,000 appointments. It is an app that bridges the digital world and the raw human experience of migration, allowing people to avoid dangerous, illegal crossings. But technology alone cannot stem the flow of hope, of desperation. And while the drop in numbers might bring relief to some, it stirs discontent in others.
A Political Storm on the Horizon
In Washington, the winds of debate swirl. As lawmakers sat in a hearing room this week, far removed from the dusty border towns, there were no warm words of congratulations for the president’s team. Instead, sharp tongues and pointed fingers filled the room. “Our border agents, the very men and women charged with protecting this country, have been reduced to caretakers,” proclaimed Congressman Clay Higgins of Alabama. His voice echoed the concerns of many who believe the role of the Border Patrol has shifted from guardians to greeters, handing out food and comfort rather than pushing back illegal crossings.
These are not new accusations. For years, the political theater surrounding immigration has played out, a script that seesawed between compassion and control. But the backdrop has changed. Over 131,000 deportations have taken place since June, a staggering number, with more than 400 repatriation flights sending people back to over 140 countries. The actions are swift, and yet, questions remain.
The Heart of the Matter: The Economy
While policy shapes the flow of migrants, there is a deeper current that draws them northward, one that laws and executive orders cannot fully control. “It’s the economy, always the economy,” said Alex Nowrasteh, vice president of economic policy at the Cato Institute, in his testimony at the hearing. It is the promise of work, the allure of opportunity that pulls families from their homes, from their histories, into the unknown. And the post-COVID recovery in the U.S., faster and more robust than in many places, has only brightened that light.
The fall in numbers is real, but like all drops in the river of time, it may only be temporary. There is no law that can quiet the human heart’s longing for something better. In this struggle, there are no clear winners, only people—people seeking life, seeking survival, seeking hope.
The Road Ahead
As the days grow shorter and the year begins its slow descent into autumn, the numbers at the border may continue to fall. Or they may rise again, as the rhythms of migration often do. What is certain is that this issue, so tangled in politics and human need, will continue to shape the country’s soul.
The executive order was a momentary answer to a long-standing question, but it has not been the final word. Laws may change, but the human desire to find a place of safety, to work, to live, does not. And so, beneath the policies and numbers, the quiet march continues.
