Nearly 303,000 People Illegally Entered US Through Southwest Border in September
Nearly 303,000 people illegally entered the U.S. through the southwest border in September, according to newly released U.S. Customs and Border Protection data and gotaway data first reported by The Center Square.
Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations agents apprehended 269,735 people last month and Border Patrol agents reported at least 33,203 known gotaways, bringing the total to 302,938.
Gotaways is the official CBP term used for foreign nationals who illegally enter the U.S. between ports of entry, intentionally evade capture and don’t return to Mexico or Canada. CBP doesn’t publicly report gotaway data. The Center Square obtains preliminary data from a U.S. Border Patrol agent who provides it on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. It only includes Border Patrol data not OFO data.
The gotaway data is believed to be much higher than reported because it doesn’t include unknown and unrecorded gotaways. With the majority of agents no longer in the field, th