Border Apprehensions Fall 28% After New Enforcement Order

Apprehensions at the southwest border fell 28 percent month-over-month according to data released Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security, the steepest single-month decline in nearly three years.

Officials credit a new executive directive narrowing asylum eligibility and accelerating removals of single adults from non-contiguous countries.

"The numbers speak for themselves," a DHS spokesperson said. "When the rules are clear and enforced, the flow responds."

On the ground

Field agents in the Del Rio sector report a noticeable change since the directive took effect, though they caution that smuggling networks adapt quickly.