Under the Biden administration, U.S. border officials recorded
more than 10 million migrant encounters nationwide from February 2021 through mid-2024, with approximately 8 million of those occurring along the southwest land border.
Here is a breakdown of key data points regarding border numbers under the Biden administration:
Key Statistics and Context
- Total Encounters: As of summer 2024, there were over 10 million recorded encounters since January 2021.
- Definition of Encounters: These numbers include both people who crossed illegally and those deemed inadmissible at ports of entry. They do not represent a unique count of individuals, as the same person may be recorded multiple times.
- "Gotaways": In addition to recorded encounters, U.S. Border Patrol estimated nearly 2 million "gotaways"—border crossers who evaded authorities—between 2021 and 2024.
- Removals and Returns: Not all encountered migrants stayed in the U.S.; millions were turned away, returned, or deported.
Growth in Numbers
- Encounters rose to record highs during this period.
- The number of southwest border encounters exceeded 2.2 million in fiscal year 2022, a record high at the time.