Illegal border crossings into the US drop in October after a 3-month streak of increases

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities say illegal border crossings from Mexico fell 14% in October from a month earlier, following three months of big increases. The decline comes during the resumption of deportation flights to Venezuela, shortly after Venezuelans replaced Mexicans as the largest nationality appearing at the border. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday arrests for illegal crossings totaled nearly 189,000 among all nationalities, down from 219,000 in September, which was the second-highest month on record. While crossings remain high, the monthly decline is a rare piece of good news for a White House that has been criticized over its immigration policies.