The number of migrants encountered at the southern U.S. border dropped 50% in the three days after the Biden administration deactivated Title 42, the public health rule that drastically eliminated migration during the pandemic, U.S. officials said Monday.
The number in the past three days was compared to the three days prior to the sunsetting of Title 42 on Friday.
The number of migrant trying to come to the U.S. was expected to surge after the policy change.
Still, a large number of migrants are still in U.S. custody, although the number has fallen “significantly” since last week, said Blas Nunez-Neto, the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for border and immigration policy.