The Customs and Border Protection agency apprehended less than 12,500 illegal immigrants on the southern border in March 2017, the lowest monthly amount in 17 years, according to Secretary for Homeland Security John Kelly.
Kelly stated the number in written testimony, the Washington Examiner reports.
In February 2017, 23,589 illegal immigrants were detained across the southern border with Mexico. It is unknown if the March 2017 numbers also include those who were detained near ports of entry, like the February 2017 number did.
Illegal immigration tends to increase during the spring and summer after having declined during the winter. From February to March, 10 to 30 percent more illegal immigrants are normally detained.
The Trump administration has celebrated the dropping number of illegal immigrants on President Trump's executive orders for stronger enforcement of immigration laws and border security.
Currently, the Department of Homeland Security is taking the initial steps of planning to build a wall on the southern border. The construction of a border wall and lowering illegal immigration were prominent parts of Trump's 2016 campaign platform.
