Since January 2021, the total number of illegal border crossings at both the northern and southern borders, as well as all ports of entry, has surpassed 8 million individuals. This figure exceeds the population of 38 individual U.S. states.
To put it into perspective, the number of foreign nationals, primarily entering the U.S. unlawfully from various parts of the world, is comparable to the populations of eight Delawares, four New Mexicos, two Oklahomas, or more than 13 Wyomings.
Although media coverage has primarily focused on encounters at the southern border and more recently the northern border, these statistics do not account for all encounters reported by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) nationwide. CBP’s 20 sectors encompass U.S. territories and ports of entry throughout the country, not solely confined to the northern and southern borders.