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Fact check: How does the zero border crossings in May 2025 compare to previous years?
1. Summary of the results
The original question contains a factual error - there were not "zero border crossings" in May 2025. According to official CBP data, there were 8,725 encounters at the southwest border in May 2025 [1] [2]. However, this represents a dramatic 93% decrease compared to May 2024, when there were 117,905 encounters [2].
The data shows border crossings have reached near-historic lows not seen since the 1960s [3] [2]. This decline appears to be part of a sustained trend, with sources reporting a 53% decrease in irregular arrivals between December 2023 and May 2024 [3], and continued decreases from May to June 2025 with a nearly 50% reduction in apprehensions and gotaways [4].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original question fails to acknowledge several critical factors behind these reduced numbers:
- Policy interventions: The decline is attributed to the Biden administration's "Secure the Border" rule and increased Mexican enforcement [3]
- Enhanced enforcement operations: DHS immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles contributed to the continued decline from May to June 2025 [4]
- Historical perspective: The current levels represent 60-year lows, providing important context about the magnitude of this decrease [2]
Political stakeholders who benefit from emphasizing either "zero crossings" or the actual reduced numbers include:
- Border security advocates who benefit from highlighting successful enforcement
- Immigration policy officials whose careers depend on demonstrating effective border management
- Political figures who can claim credit for historic reductions in border encounters
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question contains significant misinformation by claiming "zero border crossings" when official data shows 8,725 encounters occurred in May 2025 [1] [2]. This false premise could be:
- Unintentional exaggeration of the actual dramatic decrease
- Deliberate misrepresentation to support a particular political narrative about border security effectiveness
- Confusion between different types of border statistics or time periods
The question also lacks nuance by not distinguishing between different categories of border encounters, enforcement actions, or the various factors contributing to these historic lows. While the 93% decrease is factually accurate and represents a significant policy achievement [1], the complete elimination of crossings claimed in the question is demonstrably false.