In fiscal year 2024, more than half a million illegal border crossings were reported in California, according to recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Specifically, CBP recorded approximately 525,000 illegal entries into California, a figure that does not include individuals who crossed the border undetected, known as “gotaways.” This number also excludes those permitted entry under the Biden-Harris administration’s various parole programs, which critics argue have significantly affected the state’s already strained border system.
California, though it has the smallest international border with Mexico of the four U.S. states along the southwest border, has nonetheless seen an unprecedented number of crossings. The state shares 137 miles of border with Mexico, divided between the El Centro and San Diego CBP sectors.
These two sectors cover vast areas, with San Diego Sector spanning over 57,000 square miles, including coastal areas stretching up to Oregon. The San Diego Sector, which sees the majority of California’s illegal entries, reported the largest share of the crossings, with 324,260 apprehensions, marking a 40% increase from the previous year’s 230,941.
The spike in border crossings comes as Border Patrol agents in both sectors are stretched thin, facing increased challenges due to what critics call “open border policies.” Former San Diego Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke has testified before Congress on the effects these policies have had on border enforcement. He described the challenges agents face, including closures of key checkpoints due to resource reallocation toward areas of higher crossing activity. During a peak in illegal entries in mid-2022, Heitke noted, Border Patrol resources were so stretched that agents had to leave large sections of the border unmonitored.
Heitke also testified about what he termed alarming developments, including an increase in “special interest aliens” from countries considered national security risks. The influx of unaccompanied minors is also a major concern, with many children reportedly drugged or trafficked across the border by unrelated smugglers. Alongside these challenges, law enforcement officers in California have also encountered record amounts of fentanyl, seizing quantities of the potent synthetic opioid that authorities estimate could kill billions if distributed widely.
California’s other major border sector, El Centro, saw 17,484 apprehensions in fiscal 2024. Located in Southern California’s Imperial Valley, El Centro Sector covers 71 miles of remote desert and mountainous terrain, where temperatures often exceed 120 degrees in summer. Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino has raised concerns about unaccompanied minors rescued by his agents, describing the disturbing lengths smugglers go to when transporting children. Smugglers often use sleep aids to keep children quiet, and the harsh conditions frequently put their lives at risk.
Bovino highlighted the strain that surges in illegal crossings place on Border Patrol agents, who are often diverted from their core mission of intercepting dangerous individuals and materials. “Every time there’s a surge, the need to process and care for large numbers of individuals takes agents away from their primary job,” Bovino told Congress. He also noted that, as Texas has ramped up border security efforts through its Operation Lone Star initiative, traffickers have redirected many migrants westward, intensifying pressure on California’s border sectors.
Many officials and border law enforcement officers in California have voiced strong opposition to the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies. A significant portion of California sheriffs have expressed dissatisfaction, with some arguing that the state has been turned into “an open territory for the cartel to do whatever it wants.” Local leaders and law enforcement agencies argue that lax policies and parole programs have invited an increase in cartel activity and illegal immigration, leaving California to shoulder a disproportionate share of border enforcement.
The San Diego Sector, in particular, has seen an uptick in crossings by Chinese nationals. Authorities have linked a rise in Chinese migrant crossings to money laundering operations tied to the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. In response, federal agents have ramped up efforts to target these operations, but state officials argue that local enforcement is already overwhelmed.
The CBP’s data on California border crossings for 2024 is limited to apprehended individuals, meaning it excludes those who avoided detection and capture. Known as “gotaways,” these individuals represent a significant portion of illegal entries and are notoriously difficult to quantify. While exact numbers are not yet available for 2024, if trends continue as they did in 2023, California’s combined number of apprehensions and gotaways could surpass 625,000 this year. This is a marked increase from the 514,000 combined apprehensions and gotaways reported in 2023, underscoring the rapidly growing challenges faced by CBP and other law enforcement agencies.
Critics of current policies argue that these numbers reflect an escalating border crisis, with broader implications for the safety of American citizens. With the San Diego Sector reporting nearly 183,890 encounters with illegal foreign nationals at ports of entry alone, many fear that gaps in border security will worsen unless a comprehensive solution is implemented.
As illegal border crossings and cartel-related activities continue to increase, California remains a central battleground for national debates on immigration policy and border security. With over 525,000 apprehensions reported in just one year, the challenges facing California’s border sectors highlight the strain placed on resources, personnel, and local communities. Local and federal officials continue to call for stronger enforcement policies, citing not only the volume of crossings but also concerns over public safety and national security.
The data from fiscal year 2024 points to a pressing need for a balanced approach to border security that can manage both the humanitarian aspects of immigration and the enforcement measures necessary to ensure safety. As California grapples with these complex issues, the outcome may shape not only the future of state-level border policies but also influence broader national approaches to immigration reform.
2 Comments
This is all an avoidable travesty and an outright atrocity of mayhem and death that evil Newsom and the Diabolical Biden/Harris administration brought on intentionally to ruin America as they serve Satan
This is not immigration at all and they lie every time they say it is! It’s an orchestrated INVASION! The immigration laws and policies on the books are ample enough to regulate and control real immigration that is done according to the Law and Constitution. But they in the government, those culpable officials all the way up to and including the president do not follow that guideline of laws and Constitutionality! So they break their oaths of office and thusly “do not uphold the Constitutional duty to protect the sovereignty of America and the Citizens which they are obligated and demanded to do by the US Constitution! All responsible should be tried for Treason, Sedition and Treachery and executed by a firing squad at GITMO!
Well California dumb asses keep voting for democrats you deserve what you voted for. California the cesspool of the west coast. California should just become part of Mexico and we will build a wall on the east side of California. Let them become their own country then Newdumb could be the dictator he wants to be since his political career is over in the United States. Next best thing is it falls into the Pacific Ocean and floats to China. Forever democrats keep destroying America.