As a result, despite significantly higher overall encounters at the border, it is likely that in 2021, fewer people were admitted into the United States and placed into normal deportation proceedings when compared to the period of high migration that occurred between 2018 and 2019.
For additional years of Southwest Land Border encounter data, visit the Southwest Land Border Encounters webpage. *Title 42 expulsions began March 21, 2020, and ended on May 11, 2023.
Because the border region remains highly dangerous for asylum seekers expelled back to Mexico, and because the Biden administration has not resumed normal processing of asylum seekers at ports of entry along the border, many people feel as if they have no choice but to make a renewed attempt to seek safety in the United States.37
Nationwide, OFO completed a total of 294,351 encounters in 2021, including 190,785 administrative encounters and 103,566 enforcement encounters. At the Southwest Border, OFO completed 9,988 administrative encounters and 65,489 enforcement encounters.