In August, the U.S. Border Patrol saw apprehensions drop significantly when compared to July.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials spoke Thursday in San Diego about the number of people recently detained for attempting to cross into the U.S. illegally.
Chief Patrol Agent Douglas Harrison said fewer people were taken into custody in August and associated the decrease with actions taken by partners like the newly created Mexico National Guard.
In August, the U.S. Border Patrol saw apprehensions decrease by 22 percent compared to July. In the San Diego sector, 43 percent fewer people were apprehended in August as in July, border officials said.
"This is not due to a seasonal decline," Harrison said noting that in 2018, apprehensions were up in August when compared to July of that year.
"This is a welcome relief and an indication that our efforts and those of our partners are having significant positive effects," he said.
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In the San Diego sector, more than 26,000 people of the 55,000 arrested this year are from countries other than Mexico which complicates quickly returning those people to their countries of origin, Harrison said.
Harrison also said that flights carrying undocumented immigrants from Texas stopped arriving in San Diego in August 2019.
A secondary fence that will shadow the existing barrier while adding 1.5 miles east of the previous fence will be completed by early 2020.
