Border Patrol apprehensions involving unaccompanied children fell from about 20,000 in FY 2020 to about 5,000 by FY 2022. They rose to roughly 12,000 in FY 2023 and then sat near 5,000 through the FY 2024 reporting period. With 1.9 million total apprehensions at the Southwest border in FY 2021 and capacity constraints reported by 54% of surveyed stations during FY 2022, the data points to a frontline shift that needs a close read.
Key Takeaways
- 20,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2020 (UAC-apprehension count)
- 15,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2021 (UAC-apprehension count)
- 5,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2022 (UAC-apprehension count)
- 0.9% of apprehensions resulted in successful expedited removal during FY 2019 (expedited removal share, DHS/CRS analysis)
- 45% of recommendations in a DHS OIG review were “unimplemented” or “partially implemented” at the time of the report (implementation status, OIG)
- 2,300+ complaints related to CBP/BP activities were received by DHS OIG in FY 2022 (complaint volume, DHS OIG annual report)
- 26% of Border Patrol processing officers reported they lacked adequate space during surges (survey result, DHS OIG)
- 54% of surveyed Border Patrol stations experienced capacity constraints at some point during FY 2022 (surveyed station conditions, GAO)
- $2.3 billion requested for border detention and related services for FY 2024 (budget request summarized in CRS)
- $340 million in ICE detention bed costs for FY 2023 (ICE detention spending, CRS)
- $3.7 billion requested for CBP border operations in FY 2024 (CBP budget summary, CRS)
- 9% CAGR for the border security market during 2023–2028 (market forecast growth rate, MarketsandMarkets)
- 4,000+ fixed and mobile cameras deployed for border surveillance in the U.S. (U.S. border surveillance camera count cited by Tech press citing DHS/CBP)
- 0.3% false alarm rate achieved using multi-modal sensor fusion in controlled border-like trials (peer-reviewed sensing performance metric)
Unaccompanied child apprehensions spiked in FY 2020 and FY 2021, then fluctuated, while overall border capacity strains persisted.
Related reading
01 · Category
Apprehension Volumes8 stats
01
20,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2020 (UAC-apprehension count)
02
15,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2021 (UAC-apprehension count)
03
5,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2022 (UAC-apprehension count)
04
12,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2023 (UAC-apprehension count)
05
5,000 Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in FY 2024 (UAC-apprehension count through the FY 2024 reporting period)
06
5,500+ Border Patrol apprehensions involved unaccompanied children in the first 9 months of FY 2022 (unaccompanied child apprehensions, DHS OIG compilation)
07
35% of Border Patrol apprehensions involved children under age 18 in FY 2019 (apprehensions with minors, DHS analysis)
08
1.9 million Border Patrol apprehensions were made at the Southwest border in FY 2021 (total apprehensions, CRS)
Interpretation
Apprehension Volumes Interpretation
Under the Apprehension Volumes category, Border Patrol apprehensions involving unaccompanied children dropped from 20,000 in FY 2020 to 5,000 by FY 2022 and remained at 5,000 in FY 2024 through the reporting period, indicating a sustained volume decline over these years.
02 · Category
Policy & Compliance6 stats
01
0.9% of apprehensions resulted in successful expedited removal during FY 2019 (expedited removal share, DHS/CRS analysis)
02
45% of recommendations in a DHS OIG review were “unimplemented” or “partially implemented” at the time of the report (implementation status, OIG)
03
2,300+ complaints related to CBP/BP activities were received by DHS OIG in FY 2022 (complaint volume, DHS OIG annual report)
04
1,200+ Border security-related audits and investigations were conducted by DHS OIG in FY 2021 (annual report counts)
05
17,000+ individuals entered under Title 42 arrangements through Southwest border enforcement actions in FY 2021 (Title 42 encounter-related figures compiled in CRS)
06
$0.0 billion—there were no appropriations for Border Patrol biometric exit beyond pilots in 2020 (funding status, CRS policy analysis)
Interpretation
Policy & Compliance Interpretation
Across Policy and Compliance, the pattern is that oversight and implementation do not keep pace with enforcement, with 45% of DHS OIG recommendations left unimplemented or partially implemented and 2,300+ CBP and Border Patrol complaints received in FY 2022, while only 0.9% of apprehensions in FY 2019 ended in successful expedited removal.
03 · Category
Operational Efficiency2 stats
01
26% of Border Patrol processing officers reported they lacked adequate space during surges (survey result, DHS OIG)
02
54% of surveyed Border Patrol stations experienced capacity constraints at some point during FY 2022 (surveyed station conditions, GAO)
Interpretation
Operational Efficiency Interpretation
Operational efficiency appears strained as 54% of Border Patrol stations reported capacity constraints at some point in FY 2022, and 26% of processing officers said they lacked adequate space during surges.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
$2.3 billion requested for border detention and related services for FY 2024 (budget request summarized in CRS)
02
$340 million in ICE detention bed costs for FY 2023 (ICE detention spending, CRS)
03
$3.7 billion requested for CBP border operations in FY 2024 (CBP budget summary, CRS)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Under the Cost Analysis category, funding levels for detention and border operations are strikingly high, with $2.3 billion requested for border detention and related services in FY 2024 and an additional $3.7 billion requested for CBP border operations in the same year, alongside $340 million in ICE detention bed costs for FY 2023.
05 · Category
Security Technology3 stats
01
9% CAGR for the border security market during 2023–2028 (market forecast growth rate, MarketsandMarkets)
02
4,000+ fixed and mobile cameras deployed for border surveillance in the U.S. (U.S. border surveillance camera count cited by Tech press citing DHS/CBP)
03
0.3% false alarm rate achieved using multi-modal sensor fusion in controlled border-like trials (peer-reviewed sensing performance metric)
Interpretation
Security Technology Interpretation
Security technology is steadily advancing as the border security market is forecast to grow at a 9% CAGR from 2023 to 2028 while the U.S. deploys 4,000 plus fixed and mobile cameras and multi-modal sensor fusion in trials achieves a low 0.3% false alarm rate.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Border Patrol Apprehension Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/border-patrol-apprehension-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Border Patrol Apprehension Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/border-patrol-apprehension-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Border Patrol Apprehension Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/border-patrol-apprehension-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)