You’ve probably seen the grainy thermal footage on the news or heard some politician shouting about a "crisis" or an "invasion." It’s a lot of noise. But honestly, if you're asking are migrants still crossing the border, the answer isn't a simple yes or no—it’s a massive, shifting "it depends." People are definitely still crossing. They're coming over in the thousands every single day. However, the way they’re doing it and the numbers we’re seeing right now compared to six months ago might actually surprise you because the "open border" narrative and the "closed border" narrative are both kinda wrong.
Things change fast. One week, the Del Rio sector is overwhelmed; the next, the focus shifts entirely to San Diego or the remote desert stretches of Arizona. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, the influx hasn't stopped, but it has hit some weird plateaus. We saw record-breaking encounters in late 2023, with December hitting over 300,000. That’s a staggering number. Since then, executive orders and new enforcement "bins" have throttled those numbers back, yet the flow remains historically high.
Why the question of are migrants still crossing the border is so complicated
Most people think of a border crossing as someone hopping a fence in the middle of the night. That happens. A lot. But a huge chunk of the "crossings" people talk about are actually people walking right up to a Port of Entry. They’re looking for a Border Patrol agent. They want to be caught. Why? Because they’re claiming asylum. They know the system is so backed up that being processed and released with a court date years in the future is a viable path into the interior of the U.S.
It’s a loophole. Or a lifeline. Depending on who you ask.
The geography is wild, too. You’ve got the Rio Grande in Texas, which is dangerous and deep in spots. Then you’ve got the wall—or the gaps in the wall—in places like Jacumba Hot Springs, California. In those spots, you’ll see groups from China, Turkey, and India, not just Mexico and Central America. This is a global movement now. It’s not just neighbors moving north.
The impact of recent policy shifts
In mid-2024 and heading into 2025, the Biden administration—and subsequently the current enforcement posture—ramped up restrictions. They basically said that if crossings hit a certain daily average, the border "shuts down" to asylum claims. It sounds tough. In practice, it's messy. When the "shut down" triggers, agents start fast-tracking deportations. This has led to a temporary dip in the "official" numbers, but it often just pushes people to try more dangerous, clandestine routes through the brush.
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If you look at the stats from the WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America), you'll see that enforcement in Mexico is also a huge factor. The U.S. has basically outsourced a lot of the "stopping" to the Mexican National Guard. They’re pulling people off trains—the famous "La Bestia"—and busing them back to Southern Mexico. It’s a game of geographical whack-a-mole. You stop them in El Paso, they show up in Eagle Pass. You block Eagle Pass, they move to Arizona.
The "CBP One" App: The Digital Border
Here is something most people don't realize: the border is now an app. Seriously. It’s called CBP One.
To answer are migrants still crossing the border, you have to look at the 1,400+ people every day who are scheduled through this app. They wait in Mexico—sometimes for months in squalid camps in Matamoros or Reynosa—until they get an appointment. When their day comes, they walk across a bridge, get fingerprinted, and are usually let in to wait for their legal proceedings.
- It’s orderly.
- It’s legal-ish.
- It doesn't make for "dramatic" news footage.
- It accounts for hundreds of thousands of entries per year.
Critics say this is just "mass parole" under a different name. Supporters say it’s the only way to prevent a total stampede at the physical fence. Regardless of your politics, it means the border is "porous" by design for those using the digital queue.
Who is actually coming across right now?
The demographics have shifted. It’s not just young men looking for work in the fields anymore. We’re seeing entire families from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia. These people are fleeing total economic collapse and gang violence that makes most Westerners' skin crawl.
But there’s also a massive spike in "extra-hemispheric" migrants. We are talking about people flying from Beijing to Quito, Ecuador (because they didn't need a visa there for a long time), then trekking through the Darien Gap. That jungle is a nightmare. It’s full of cartels and mud that swallows people whole. If someone survives the Darien Gap, a border fence in Texas isn't going to stop them. They’ve already seen the worst things imaginable.
The "Invisible" crossings and the Gotaways
Now, let’s talk about the "Gotaways." This is the term CBP uses for people they detect on cameras or sensors but don't actually catch.
In some years, the number of known gotaways has exceeded 600,000. That’s more than the entire population of some U.S. cities. These are the people who don't want to be caught. They aren't looking for asylum; they’re often trying to avoid the law or simply want to work under the radar. When you ask are migrants still crossing the border, these are the ones that keep Border Patrol chiefs up at night. They are moving through the "shatter zones"—rugged terrain where there isn't enough manpower to patrol every mile.
Texas has tried to take matters into its own hands with "Operation Lone Star." You’ve seen the concertina wire. You’ve seen the state troopers. It’s created a legal showdown between Governor Abbott and the federal government. Does the wire work? Maybe in small sections. But the border is nearly 2,000 miles long. You can't put a soldier every ten feet.
Economic pull factors that nobody mentions
We talk about the "push" (war, poverty), but we rarely talk about the "pull." The U.S. labor market is still hungry. Construction, hospitality, and agriculture are basically propped up by undocumented labor in many states. As long as there are jobs and a massive wage gap between Ohio and Oaxaca, people will keep coming. It’s basic supply and demand.
Interestingly, many migrants are now heading to "new" destinations. It's not just California and Texas. They are being bused or buying their own tickets to Chicago, Denver, and New York. This has shifted the political "pain" of the border from the south to the north, which is why you see mayors in "Blue" cities suddenly sounding like "Red" state governors.
Reality check: Is the border actually "open"?
If you try to walk across without papers and get caught, you are technically in "removal proceedings." You might be deported immediately under Title 8. You might be put in a detention center.
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However, because the detention centers are full, many are released with a "Notice to Appear." This is the crux of the frustration for many. Is it "open" if you get caught and then released? Logistically, for the migrant, it feels open. Legally, they are in a state of limbo that can last a decade.
The courts are currently facing a backlog of over 3 million cases. There aren't enough judges. There aren't enough lawyers. So, the crossing continues because the consequences are delayed by years.
What you can actually do with this information
If you’re trying to stay informed or if this affects your community, don't just rely on 30-second clips.
- Check the CBP Monthly Reports: They release "Encounter" numbers around the 15th of every month. It’s the rawest data you can get.
- Monitor the Darien Gap flow: Watch reports from the Panamanian government. What happens in Panama today usually hits the U.S. border in 3 to 6 weeks.
- Differentiate between "Encounters" and "Apprehensions": An encounter includes people who were turned away. An apprehension is an arrest. They aren't the same thing, though news outlets use them interchangeably.
- Look at the Labor Market: If you see a sudden crackdown on hiring in the U.S., expect the border crossings to dip shortly after. The "job" is the ultimate magnet.
The border is a living, breathing thing. It's not a static wall or a wide-open door. It’s a sieve. Some things get caught, some things pass through, and the pressure on the other side isn't going away anytime soon.
To stay truly updated, follow local news outlets in border towns like the El Paso Matters or the Rio Grande Guardian. They see the reality every morning when they wake up, long after the national news cameras have packed up and gone home. Understanding the nuances of the CBP One app and the shifting nationalities of those arriving is the only way to get a real handle on the situation. The flow is constant, but the "how" and the "who" are changing every single day.
Actionable Insights for Following Border Trends
- Track Regional Shifts: Use the CBP's "Southwest Border Encounters" dashboard to see which sectors (e.g., Tucson vs. Rio Grande Valley) are seeing the most activity. This tells you where the cartels are currently directing traffic.
- Verify NGO Reports: Organizations like the International Rescue Committee (IRC) provide boots-on-the-ground reports regarding the humanitarian conditions in Mexican border cities, which often precedes a surge in crossings.
- Understand Legal Definitions: Research the difference between "Parole," "Asylum," and "Expedited Removal" to understand why many migrants are released into the interior after crossing.
- Follow Judicial Rulings: Keep an eye on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, as their rulings on "remain in Mexico" policies or razor wire usage change the physical reality of the border overnight.