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Fact check: How do border crossings in 2017-2021 compare to previous years?
1. Summary of the results
Border crossings from 2017-2021 showed a dramatic upward trajectory, with encounters nearly quadrupling over this period. According to official CBP data, encounters rose from 526,901 in 2017 to 1,956,519 in 2021 [1]. This represents the highest level in 20 years as of 2021 [2].
The year-by-year breakdown reveals significant fluctuations: encounters increased to 683,178 in 2018, peaked at 1,148,024 in 2019, dropped to 646,822 in 2020 (likely due to COVID-19 restrictions), then surged to nearly 2 million in 2021 [1]. The U.S. Border Patrol component saw the most dramatic increase, with encounters rising from 310,531 in 2017 to 1,662,167 in 2021 [1].
Single adults comprised 57% of all Border Patrol encounters in 2021, marking a significant demographic shift [3]. Additionally, unaccompanied children reached record levels, with 18,951 children taken into CBP custody in March 2021 alone [2].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original question lacks crucial context about policy impacts and measurement distortions. The Biden administration's continuation of Trump's Title 42 policy created a significant increase in repeat border crossings, as individuals expelled to Mexico would attempt to cross again, artificially inflating encounter numbers [2].
Recent developments show a dramatic reversal: by 2025, border encounters have fallen to historic lows, with fewer than 8,400 irregular crossers reported in April 2025 [4]. June 2025 saw only 25,228 total encounters nationwide with zero parole releases [5]. This represents what current officials describe as the "most secure border in American history" [6].
Political perspectives differ significantly: Current administration sources claim a 93% decrease in daily border encounters compared to previous years [6], while the Biden administration averaged nearly 160,000 monthly encounters during their tenure [6]. These contrasting narratives benefit different political constituencies - immigration restrictionists benefit from emphasizing the 2017-2021 surge, while current leadership benefits from highlighting recent decreases.
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question appears neutral but omits critical temporal context. By focusing solely on 2017-2021, it excludes the dramatic policy changes and enforcement shifts that occurred afterward, potentially creating a misleading impression of current border security status.
The question also fails to acknowledge measurement complexities, particularly how Title 42 expulsions created distorted repeat crossing statistics that inflated encounter numbers during the period in question [2]. This policy continuation across administrations created artificial spikes in recorded encounters that don't accurately reflect unique individuals crossing the border.
Administrative processing challenges during 2021, including inadequate conditions in emergency influx shelters for unaccompanied children, represent humanitarian concerns that pure encounter statistics don't capture [2]. The focus on raw numbers without addressing processing capacity and humanitarian outcomes presents an incomplete picture of border management effectiveness.