Arrests by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement plummeted by more than 60 percent in February as compared to the final months of the Trump administration, coinciding with a surge of crossings at the US-Mexico border.
The drop, reported Tuesday by The Washington Post, came during President Biden’s first full month in the Oval Office, as he has walked back his predecessor’s more stringent immigration policies.
The number of immigrants busted by ICE in February was down by more than 60 percent as compared to the final three full months of the Trump administration, the paper reported, citing ICE data it reviewed.
In October, November and December, ICE made an average of around 6,800 arrests, according to the report.
Last month, they made only around 2,500 arrests.
Deportations also dipped in February, the data reportedly shows.
In January — as the transition between administrations unfolded — ICE effected 5,583 deportations, according to the Washington Post.
Last month, that figure stood at around 2,600.
The decline came as the Biden administration issued new, temporary guidelines to ICE, narrowing the scope of who the agency should target.
Priorities now include threats to national security, convicted felons believed to pose a threat to public safety and those who have recently entered the US illegally.
“ICE’s interim enforcement priorities focus on threats to national security, border security, and public safety,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News. “Like other law enforcement agencies, ICE has limited resources, and must prioritize its operations accordingly. As a result, ICE is focused on these priorities and the kinds of quality arrests and enforcement actions they produce.”
The more restricted approach comes as thousands of Central American migrants — including unaccompanied children — have hit the southern border, creating a massive logjam and packing detainment centers as the coronavirus continues to rage.
White House officials in recent days have repeatedly urged migrants not to rush the border now, while acknowledging that the administration’s messaging on the matter may have been muddled, creating confusion and doing little to stem the tide.