The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced preliminary fiscal year 2026 data showing a 95% decline in southwest border apprehensions compared with annual levels under the Biden administration. The data also showed the lowest annual nationwide encounters in CBP history.
According to the CBP, fiscal year 2026 marked the first time in agency history that the U.S. Border Patrol completed an entire fiscal year without releasing migrants into the United States.
September also marked the 17th consecutive month with zero Border Patrol releases.
The preliminary figures show that Border Patrol agents recorded 98,708 apprehensions along the southwest border during FY26, compared to an annual average exceeding 1.8 million under former President Joe Biden.
The total was also approximately 60% lower than the 249,740 apprehensions recorded during the highest single month under the Biden administration, according to DHS.
That’s right. ZERO releases for an entire fiscal year. Lowest nationwide encounters in CBP history. Our agents have worked hard for these results, and we are keeping our foot on the gas. pic.twitter.com/nVmR8WLwK5
“President Trump promised the American people a secure border, and the data proves he delivered,” stated DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Over the past year, CBP recorded its lowest numbers in American history. A stark contrast to Biden, where CBP recorded its highest illegal immigration numbers ever.”
Nationwide encounters also fell to a reported 379,243 during FY26, compared to an annual average of approximately 2.7 million under the previous administration.
The latest figures represent an 88% decline from FY23, when encounters reached their highest annual level.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott attributed the decline to increased enforcement efforts and cooperation among federal agencies.
“FY 2026 demonstrated what focused enforcement, strong partnerships, and the commitment of our frontline personnel can achieve,” said Scott. “DHS and CBP are securing the border, stopping dangerous drugs and criminals, protecting communities, and ensuring our personnel have the resources necessary for this critical mission.”
The agency also reported a nearly 80% decline in migrant deaths identified by Border Patrol during FY26 and since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, compared to levels under the Biden administration.
Despite the reduction in crossings, CBP personnel continued conducting search-and-rescue operations and providing emergency medical assistance.
During FY26, CBP’s Office of Field Operations responded to more than 3,000 medical emergencies, performed CPR on more than 50 individuals experiencing cardiac arrest, and administered naloxone to individuals experiencing suspected opioid overdoses.
In addition to declining border crossings, CBP reported completing 250 miles of new border barriers along the southwest border since January 2025. The construction includes primary and secondary barriers, waterborne barriers, and supporting surveillance technology.
The agency also obligated approximately $34.3 billion between September 2025 and September 2026 toward Smart Wall projects across the southwest border states, using funding provided through the Working Families Tax Cut Act.
CBP also reported higher drug seizure totals during the fiscal year.
Preliminary figures show the agency seized nearly 1 million pounds of illegal drugs nationwide, approximately 63% above the annual average of 600,000 pounds recorded during the previous four years.
“The results could not be clearer: strong enforcement works,” added Mullin. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the hard work of CBP and DHS law enforcement personnel, we have restored control of the border and made America safer than ever.”
Beyond border enforcement, CBP reported stopping more than 4,000 shipments valued at over $325 million due to suspected forced labor violations. The agency also seized approximately 55.5 million counterfeit items with an estimated value exceeding $12.6 billion.
Among those seizures were 476,903 counterfeit items associated with FIFA World Cup intellectual property valued at more than $33 million.
DHS officials attributed the reduction in unlawful border crossings to the administration’s immigration enforcement policies and investments in border infrastructure, while highlighting increased drug seizures and trade enforcement efforts during FY26.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Federal prosecutors in Arizona filed immigration-related criminal charges against 279 individuals during a weeklong enforcement operation targeting illegal entry, unlawful reentry, and human smuggling along the southern border.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the charges were filed between October 10 and October 16, 2026, as part of ongoing federal efforts to combat illegal immigration and human smuggling throughout the state.
During the enforcement period, prosecutors filed 136 cases involving individuals accused of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed, along with charges against 123 individuals accused of illegally entering the country.
Federal authorities also filed 17 cases against 20 individuals accused of smuggling illegal immigrants into and throughout Arizona.
The cases were referred or supported by several federal law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Among the notable cases highlighted by federal prosecutors were charges filed October 13 against Jesus Manuel Calixtro-Rodriguez and Julio Cesar Ramos-Mendez, who were accused of conspiring to transport illegal immigrants for profit.
According to the criminal complaint, Border Patrol surveillance cameras observed Calixtro-Rodriguez driving a Dodge Ram along Federal Route 15 on the Tohono O’odham Nation on October 10. Authorities reported that he stopped near a location known for human smuggling pickups, where several individuals entered the vehicle.
When Border Patrol agents attempted to conduct an immigration inspection, Calixtro-Rodriguez allegedly refused to stop, prompting agents to deploy a tire deflation device.
The vehicle’s occupants fled on foot, but agents apprehended Calixtro-Rodriguez and three passengers, including Ramos-Mendez. Authorities determined that the passengers were Mexican nationals unlawfully present in the United States.
Investigators identified Ramos-Mendez as the group’s foot guide and discovered that he had previously been removed from the country without authorization to return. He was additionally charged with illegal reentry.
In a separate case, Christopher Paul Lopez was charged on October 9 with transporting an illegal immigrant following an October 8 traffic stop along Interstate 10.
According to federal prosecutors, an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper discovered Lopez lying in the rear of a Land Rover and subsequently recovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun from a bag inside the vehicle.
Following further questioning, authorities suspected that Lopez and the driver were involved in human smuggling. Border Patrol agents later determined that the driver was a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States and learned that Lopez had allegedly been paid to accompany the driver from Tucson to Phoenix.
Another case involved Jose Avendano-Soto, who was charged on October 13 with transporting an illegal immigrant after Border Patrol agents observed a group crossing the U.S.-Mexico border wall using a rope ladder.
According to the criminal complaint, seven individuals exited an SUV near the border wall on October 8. Five crossed into the United States, while two remained behind to conceal the group’s footprints before returning to Mexico.
Agents later located the five individuals hiding in vegetation while wearing camouflage clothing. Four were identified as Guatemalan nationals and one as a Mexican national, all unlawfully present in the United States.
Investigators identified Avendano-Soto as the group’s foot guide, responsible for leading the individuals across the border.
The cases reflect ongoing federal efforts to prosecute illegal border crossings, unlawful reentry, and human smuggling operations throughout Arizona.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief was in Phoenix on Friday to oversee deportation flights for what the agency said were “dangerous illegal aliens.”
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin oversaw the deportation flights headed for Mexico. Among the deportees were illegal aliens identified as pedophiles, violent assailants, drug traffickers, drunk drivers, burglars, and gang members.
DHS quoted Mullin in a press release as saying that these latest deportation flights out of Phoenix are part of this administration’s continued promise to mass deport illegal aliens.
“The American people voted for mass deportations, and that’s exactly what we’re giving them. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are removing dangerous illegals like these from our communities and from our country every single day,” said Mullin. “We will not stop until we have deported as many illegals as possible, so that we can make America safe again.”
Friday’s deportees included:
Jaime Velasquez Orozco, convicted in the past of child sexual abuse, attempted rape, domestic abuse, burglary, battery, driving under the influence, hit-and-run, and drug possession.
Jiovany Baray-Acosta, convicted in the past of driving under the influence with a minor in the car, drug possession, illegal weapon possession, and kidnapping.
Noe Ochoa Torres, convicted in the past of child abuse, sexual assault of a child, and drug possession.
Luis Antonio Vasquez Encinas, convicted in the past of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor under 15.
German Garcia-Ordonez, convicted in the past of assault and battery in the presence of a minor.
Filiberto Preciado-Gamboa, a gang member convicted in the past of domestic abuse, drug possession, and shoplifting.
Jose Cruz Estrada, convicted in the past of domestic abuse, terroristic threats, driving while intoxicated, and evading arrest.
Rolando Carbajal Villegas, convicted in the past of driving while intoxicated and assault.
Octavio Felipe-Olivera, convicted in the past of driving under the influence and disturbing the peace.
DHS reported last December that more than 2.5 million illegal aliens have left the country since Trump took office in January of last year. Of those exits, more than 600,000 were reportedly formal deportations and approximately 1.9 million were voluntary self-deportations.
Approximately 10 million illegal aliens reside within the country.
DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also announced on Friday that the preliminary data for this fiscal year indicate a 95% drop in southwest border apprehensions compared to the last administration, along with what they allege to be the “lowest annual encounters in American history and the first-ever fiscal year with zero Border Patrol releases.”
According to CBP, encounters of illegal aliens along the southwest border have dropped from an average 177,000 encounters per month during the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration to about 11,000 encounters per month under President Donald Trump.
In CBP’s 2026 fiscal year — which runs from October 2025 through September 2026 — there have been just over 128,000 encounters. Under Trump’s first month in office, monthly encounters dropped by about 20%.
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Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) criticized Attorney General Kris Mayes last week following reports that representatives of Living United for Change in Arizona, known as LUCHA, contacted her office seeking opposition to the Secure the Border Act in 2024.
Petersen, the Republican nominee challenging Mayes for attorney general, alleged that the communications showed activists influencing the office’s position on the measure.
“When Arizona was facing a historic border crisis, Kris Mayes’ office was coordinated with a left-wing organization to defeat the Secure the Border Act and keep our border open,” Petersen said. “These records raise serious questions about who is driving policy in the Attorney General’s office.”
He continued, “Mayes opposed a measure designed to give Arizona additional tools to confront illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and secure the border at the behest of activists.”
According to the Washington Free Beacon, a lobbyist representing LUCHA emailed Mayes’ office on May 6, 2024, asking whether she would oppose the proposal and issue a public statement. Mayes announced her opposition three days later.
The group in question, LUCHA, emailed Mayes’s office in May 2024 to ask if Mayes would “come out with a statement” opposing the Secure the Border Act, a GOP-led bill that requires immigration status verification for certain public benefits and allows state and local law… pic.twitter.com/ovdjooNmWD
In a statement on May 9, 2024, Mayes cited funding and staffing shortages at law enforcement agencies, concerns about racial profiling, and potential economic consequences. She also criticized the federal government’s handling of border security.
“This referral is a political distraction that will sow seeds of bias and fear without fixing the issues it claims to address,” Mayes said.
Mayes said she would continue pursuing federal border security funding, targeting drug cartels, and working with other law enforcement agencies to stop fentanyl trafficking.
The Free Beacon also reported that LUCHA’s then-political director, Chris Gilfillan, contacted Mayes’ communications director, Richie Taylor, in June 2024 to request a discussion about her approach to the proposal, including its prosecutorial implications. Taylor agreed to speak and provided his phone number.
The Secure the Border Act advanced as House Concurrent Resolution 2060 and appeared on the November 2024 ballot as Proposition 314. Arizona voters approved it with approximately 62.6% of the vote.
The law, which took effect in July, creates offenses involving false documents or information submitted by people unlawfully present in the country when applying for public benefits or employment. It also addresses entry into Arizona outside lawful ports of entry, refusal to comply with return orders, and the sale of fentanyl that causes another person’s death.
In a post to X, Petersen described Mayes as a “public safety disaster.”
MAYES IS A PUBLIC SAFETY DISASTER
”Arizona AG Coordinated With Far-Left 'Abolish ICE' and 'Defund Police' Group While Opposing Border Security Measure, Records Show”https://t.co/RFye2SfApS
Republican congressional candidate Dr. Zuhdi Jasser confronted Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) over health care costs, border enforcement, tariffs, and the conflict with Iran during an Arizona PBS candidate forum for Arizona’s Fourth Congressional District.
The Arizona Republican Party highlighted the exchange Tuesday, days after Jasser and Stanton appeared together on the Sept. 10 edition of “Candidates in Conversation.” Arizona PBS described the program as an open exchange rather than a formal debate.
Jasser, a primary-care physician and Republican nominee, identified rising health-insurance premiums as the most pressing issue facing the district. He blamed the Affordable Care Act and a lack of competition and price transparency for making coverage increasingly expensive.
Stanton, the Democratic incumbent who has served in Congress since 2019, said the broader cost of living was the leading issue. He pointed to tariffs, energy costs, and federal health care policy as contributors to household expenses.
The discussion became contentious when Stanton accused Jasser of supporting repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Jasser denied advocating repeal and said his position was to make health insurance more affordable through competition and transparency.
Jasser then argued that Congress needed a physician’s perspective on health policy, telling Stanton that “the House needs a doctor, not a politician that has been there since the iPod was made.”
For 25 years, I’ve fought for patients against insurance companies that put profits before care.
Greg Stanton is fighting to prevent any affordability reforms to the Unaffordable Care Act and instead wants to send BILLIONS more in subsidies to the C-Suites of Big Insurance while… pic.twitter.com/kXKRnnnXeM
The Arizona Republican Party paraphrased the remark in its post by referring to the introduction of the iPad and wrote that it was time for Stanton to leave office.
Stanton said he would continue defending Affordable Care Act protections, including coverage for people with preexisting conditions, and work to reduce insurance costs. Jasser said Stanton’s years in elected office had failed to produce an affordable health care system.
The Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, nine years before Stanton entered Congress. Stanton previously served on the Phoenix City Council and as the city’s mayor from 2012 through 2018.
The candidates also found limited agreement on tariffs. Jasser said he disagreed with President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs and the administration’s involvement with Intel. Stanton called the tariffs unlawful and said they were increasing consumer costs.
Their sharpest foreign-policy disagreement involved Iran. Stanton characterized the conflict as a war of choice and linked it to higher gasoline prices. Jasser defended presidential authority to respond to national-security threats and criticized Stanton’s approach to military and border policy.
On immigration, Stanton acknowledged that the Biden administration mishandled the southern border. He said he supports border security alongside a comprehensive immigration overhaul.
Jasser called for continued enforcement of immigration law along with support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local police. He also criticized Stanton for appearing with Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03) during a congressional oversight visit to a federal detention facility.
Stanton responded that members of Congress have an obligation to inspect federal facilities and review how federal agencies are carrying out immigration enforcement.
Jasser also rejected the suggestion that he would vote in lockstep with Trump or Republican leadership. He cited his disagreement with the administration on tariffs and Intel while describing himself as an independent voice with medical, military, and business experience.
Jasser served for 11 years in the U.S. Navy and founded the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. He has also served as a commissioner and vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Stanton serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee. He is also chairman of the NewDem Action Fund, which supports candidates affiliated with the centrist New Democrat Coalition.
Stanton won the Democratic primary with 35,551 votes, while Jasser received 39,431 votes as the Republican nominee.
Arizona’s Fourth Congressional District lies entirely within Maricopa County and includes portions of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler.
