Border

Border is a data page on the Immigration desk of Glassbox Auditing. CBP encounters at and between ports of entry, by month, citizenship, state and fiscal year. Encounter levels drive federal enforcement and detention spending and local shelter and court costs, and reach the labour force over time.

Last updated: 30 Oct 2026.

What is the latest reading?

Border and port-of-entry encounters, by month: 27,890 encounters as of 1 Oct 2026, -77.7% since Nov 2024. Source: CBP nationwide encounters.

What is on this page today?

Nationwide CBP encounters: 27,890 in October 2026, -10% on a year earlier — 30,944 in October 2025 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 30 Oct 2026)
Southwest border CBP encounters: 11,443 in October 2026, -2% on a year earlier — 11,703 in October 2025 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 30 Oct 2026)
People from Mexico made up 35% of border and port-of-entry encounters in fiscal 2027 through October: 9,741, -8% on the same months a year earlier — against the same months of fiscal 2026: Mexico -8%, Canada -6%, China, Peoples Republic Of -2% · encounters, not people: one person can be counted more than once (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 30 Oct 2026)
Texas recorded 26% of CBP encounters in fiscal 2027 through October: 7,333, -14% on the same months a year earlier — against the same months of fiscal 2026: Texas -14%, California -10%, Florida -2% · by the state where the encounter was recorded, airports included (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 30 Oct 2026)
Border and port-of-entry encounters: 382,490 in fiscal 2026, -45% on 2025 — 691,906 in 2025 (CBP nationwide encounters, 29 Sep 2026)
3.30 million cases pending before the immigration courts on 30 September 2026, -11.3% since 30 September 2025 — FY2026 · most in this series (fiscal 2016 on): 3.92 million on 30 September 2024 · EOIR data generated 22 Oct (Executive Office for Immigration Review (Justice Department), 29 Sep 2026)
ICE held an average of 64,508 people in detention a day in fiscal 2026 through 11 Jul, against 48,404 people across fiscal 2025 — 353,948 book-ins so far in fiscal 2026 · fiscal-year-to-date average as ICE publishes it, so it restarts each October · release of 20 Jul (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 10 Jul 2026)
ICE detention, average length of stay: 49.9 days in fiscal 2026 through 11 Jul, against 50.3 days across fiscal 2025 — fiscal-year-to-date average as ICE publishes it, so it restarts each October · release of 20 Jul (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 10 Jul 2026)
Texas (ERO El Paso Camp East Montana): an average of 2,026 people in detention a day in fiscal 2026 through 11 Jul — in El Paso, TX · facility type: contract detention facility · release of 20 Jul (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 10 Jul 2026)
Georgia (Stewart Detention Center): an average of 2,010 people in detention a day in fiscal 2026 through 11 Jul — in Lumpkin, GA · facility type: dedicated intergovernmental service agreement · release of 20 Jul (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 10 Jul 2026)
Mississippi (Adams County Correctional Center): an average of 1,878 people in detention a day in fiscal 2026 through 11 Jul — in Natchez, MS · facility type: dedicated intergovernmental service agreement · release of 20 Jul (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 10 Jul 2026)
Texas (South Texas ICE Processing Center): an average of 1,703 people in detention a day in fiscal 2026 through 11 Jul — in Pearsall, TX · facility type: contract detention facility · release of 20 Jul (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 10 Jul 2026)
California (Adelanto ICE Processing Center): an average of 1,686 people in detention a day in fiscal 2026 through 11 Jul — in Adelanto, CA · facility type: contract detention facility · release of 20 Jul (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 10 Jul 2026)
Immigration courts, fiscal 2026 through 30 June: 7,231 asylum grants and 89,740 denials among 254,680 asylum decisions — abandoned 92,081, withdrawn 18,251, closed administratively 3,315, not adjudicated 44,062 · fiscal 2025: 26,599 grants, 82,431 denials, 267,922 decisions · counts as EOIR publishes them; it publishes no grant or denial… (Executive Office for Immigration Review (Justice Department), 29 Jun 2026)
Immigration courts took in 43,461 new cases a month in fiscal 2026 through June and completed 73,371, against 46,865 and 66,567 in fiscal 2025 — 391,145 new cases and 660,343 completions in fiscal 2026 through June · receipts -7% a month on fiscal 2025 · monthly averages as EOIR publishes them (Executive Office for Immigration Review (Justice Department), 29 Jun 2026)
2.32 million asylum applications were pending before the immigration courts on 30 June 2026, -7% since 30 September 2025 — fiscal 2025: 879,603 filed (40,837 affirmative, 838,766 defensive) · fiscal 2026 through June: 199,069 filed (69,852 affirmative, 129,217 defensive) · asylum applications, affirmative and defensive (Executive Office for Immigration Review (Justice Department), 29 Jun 2026)
Immigration judges issued 281,867 removal orders in absentia in fiscal 2026 through June, 31,319 a month against 25,928 in fiscal 2025 — 90,288 (32%) in cases with an asylum application, against 16% in fiscal 2025 · orders issued when the respondent did not appear (Executive Office for Immigration Review (Justice Department), 29 Jun 2026)

Where does the data come from?

Items on this page come from U.S. Customs and Border Protection; CBP nationwide encounters; Executive Office for Immigration Review (Justice Department); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Each item links to its own source. All sources, how items are checked.

What does this page lead to?

Budget & Spending (Macro): Higher encounter numbers raise federal spending on border enforcement, detention and immigration courts; the 2025 budget law added large sums for enforcement and detention. (moves the same way; months to a year; economy scale) Source: Congressional Budget Office (budget categories).
Federal Contractors (People & Money): Detention and transport are largely run by contractors such as GEO Group and CoreCivic, so enforcement spending flows to them through ICE contracts. (moves the same way; months; sector scale) Source: USAspending.gov (U.S. Treasury): federal contracts, grants and loans by recipient.
US Map (Domestic Intelligence): Encounters concentrate in the Texas, Arizona and California border sectors; shelters, courts and city budgets there and in receiving cities (New York, Chicago, Denver) carry the near-term costs. (moves the same way; months; economy scale) Source: CBP nationwide encounters.
Labor Market (Macro): People released to pursue asylum claims can seek work permits after a waiting period, so the 2022-2024 surge added to labour-force growth in CBO's estimates. (moves the same way; years; economy scale) Source: Congressional Budget Office (budget categories).
Tariffs & Government (Macro): In 2025 the U.S. put tariffs on Canada and Mexico under emergency powers, citing migration and fentanyl at the border, which made border conditions a trade-policy lever. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks; global scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

What feeds this page?

Global Data (Global Intelligence): Large displacement from countries in the Americas, such as the nearly 8 million people who have left Venezuela, adds to asylum claims and encounters at the U.S. southern border. (moves the same way; months to years; global scale) Source: CBP nationwide encounters.