The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced preliminary Fiscal Year 2026 data showing 98,708 southwest border apprehensions—the lowest annual total in agency history. The agency reported 379,243 total nationwide encounters in the fiscal year, also the lowest on record.
The Border Patrol completed its first full fiscal year with zero releases of apprehended individuals. September 2026 marked the 17th consecutive month without releases, according to DHS.
Compared with the prior administration, the 2026 apprehension count represented a 60 percent decrease from the Biden Administration's highest single month of 249,740 apprehensions, DHS said. Border-related deaths identified by the Border Patrol fell nearly 80 percent in fiscal 2026 compared to the previous administration.
The agency reported completing 250 miles of new border barrier since January 20, 2025, including primary and secondary barriers, waterborne barriers, and supporting technology. From September 2025 through September 2026, CBP obligated $34.3 billion for Smart Wall projects across all southwest border states.
Drug seizures at the border totaled nearly 1 million pounds in fiscal 2026, a 63 percent increase over the 600,000-pound annual average of the prior four years. CBP also reported seizing 55.5 million counterfeit goods valued at over $12.6 billion and stopping more than 4,000 shipments valued at over $325 million suspected of involving forced labor.
CBP personnel conducted more than 3,000 medical emergency responses, performing CPR on over 50 individuals in cardiac arrest and administering Naloxone for suspected opioid overdoses.