Venezuelans become largest nationality for illegal border crossings as September numbers surge

By ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Venezuelans became the largest nationality arrested for illegally crossing the U.S. border last month, replacing Mexicans for the first time on record. Figures released Saturday also show that September was the second-highest month for arrests of all nationalities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says arrests for the government’s budget year ended Sept. 30 topped 2 million for the second year in a row. Venezuelans were arrested nearly 55,000 times by the Border Patrol after entering from Mexico in September. That’s more than double the number from August and well above the previous monthly high of about 34,000 arrests in September 2022.