Single Adults and Unaccompanied Minors Now Dominate Border Crossings Amid Enforcement Shift, Report Finds
Story by Pedro Camacho • 15h
Unauthorized migration at the U.S.–Mexico border has fallen to its lowest level in more than half a century, while the makeup of those arriving has shifted sharply toward single Mexican adults and unaccompanied Central American minors, according to new figures from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).
Roughly 444,000 migrant encounters were recorded in fiscal year 2025, down from 2.1 million the previous year, marking a return to demographic patterns last seen more than a decade ago. During FY 2025, single adults accounted for nearly 80% of unauthorized crossings, while family-unit encounters dropped from 27% to 12%.
The share of Mexican nationals rose from 45% to 69% over the same period, while the share from other regions declined.
The shift coincides with the Trump administration's expanded border controls, additional asylum limits, and its stated goal of mass deportations. The administration has also increasingly relied on repatriation agreements with neighboring countries, allowing faster turnbacks.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/single-adults-and-unaccompanied-minors-now-dominate-border-crossings-amid-enforcement-shift-report-finds/ar-AA1Q4r3q?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=6910d4941a8641c39b0f688fae3d2f6d&ei=66
