Fact check: How many illegal immigrants were allowed in the USA in May 2025

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, U.S. Border Patrol released 0 illegal immigrants into the country in May 2025 ^{[1] [2]}. This represents a dramatic decrease from the 62,000 illegal immigrants released in May 2024 ^[1]. The data comes from official CBP (Customs and Border Protection) monthly updates and White House sources.

Additionally, broader immigration trends show that the illegal immigrant population has declined by approximately one million since the start of 2025 ^[3]. This decline is primarily attributed to a decrease in non-citizens from Latin America who arrived in 1980 or later, a demographic that significantly overlaps with the illegal immigrant population.

The immigration landscape appears to be experiencing unprecedented changes, with reports suggesting that the United States could lose more immigrants than it gains in 2025, which would be the first time this has occurred in 50 years ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question focuses specifically on May 2025 data, but several important contextual elements are missing:

• Seasonal and policy variations: The analyses don't explain what specific policies or enforcement changes led to the dramatic drop from 62,000 releases in May 2024 to zero in May 2025 ^[1]
• Distinction between encounters and releases: While CBP reported a slight increase in migrant encounters from April to May 2025, this doesn't translate to releases into the country ^[5]. This distinction is crucial for understanding border operations
• Broader immigration trends: The question doesn't account for the overall decline in the illegal immigrant population throughout 2025, which provides important context for understanding the May figures ^[3]
• Definition clarity: The analyses don't clearly define what constitutes being "allowed in" versus other immigration statuses or temporary holds

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain explicit misinformation, but it may reflect certain assumptions:

• Framing bias: The question uses the term "allowed in," which could imply intentional government permission rather than the complex reality of border enforcement, detention, and release procedures
• Temporal focus: By asking specifically about May 2025, the question might miss the broader context of significant year-over-year changes in immigration patterns ^{[1] [3]}
• Source reliability considerations: The analyses come from various sources including government agencies (CBP, White House) and advocacy organizations (CIS - Center for Immigration Studies), each of which may have different methodological approaches or political perspectives that could influence data presentation
• Incomplete picture: The question doesn't account for other categories of immigration status or the distinction between border encounters and actual releases into the interior of the country ^[5]