THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

DHS cites preliminary January 2026 data saying southern border daily apprehensions are 42% lower than one-hour peak in Dec 2023

True

Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.

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enforcement

CBP preliminary January 2026 data show that average daily apprehensions at the southern border, by the comparison method used, are 42% lower than the cited one‑hour figure of 336 from December 2023.

Source summary
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited the U.S. southern border in Nogales, Arizona and a northern border round table in Grand Forks, North Dakota on February 4, 2026 to announce DHS data showing a decline in border encounters. DHS and CBP cited January preliminary figures including the ninth consecutive month with no Border Patrol releases, a reported drop in Southwest apprehensions to 6,073, and 34,631 nationwide encounters in January. The department also highlighted plans to replace the Border Patrol’s drone fleet after acquiring 300 small unmanned aircraft systems in FY25.
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Latest fact check

DHS’s February 4–5, 2026 press materials (quoting CBP preliminary figures) report 6,073 U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the Southwest border in January 2026, a January daily average of about 196 per day. December 2023 had about 249,785 southwest Border Patrol encounters (CBP monthly report), which works out to roughly 8,060 per day or ~336 per hour; (336 − 196)/336 ≈ 41.7%, rounded to 42%. Verdict: True — the DHS statement accurately represents preliminary January 2026 data versus the December 2023 hourly figure and the percentage decline is arithmetically correct.

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Feb 06, 2026, 05:48 AMTrue
    DHS’s February 4–5, 2026 press materials (quoting CBP preliminary figures) report 6,073 U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the Southwest border in January 2026, a January daily average of about 196 per day. December 2023 had about 249,785 southwest Border Patrol encounters (CBP monthly report), which works out to roughly 8,060 per day or ~336 per hour; (336 − 196)/336 ≈ 41.7%, rounded to 42%. Verdict: True — the DHS statement accurately represents preliminary January 2026 data versus the December 2023 hourly figure and the percentage decline is arithmetically correct.
  2. Update · Feb 06, 2026, 05:00 AMTrue
    DHS’s February 2026 press release and CBP monthly statistics support the numbers used: CBP’s preliminary January 2026 Southwest border daily average was 196 apprehensions per day, and DHS cites a December 2023 peak of 336 per hour; (336−196)/336 ≈ 41.7%, which rounds to 42%. Therefore the statement is accurate in its arithmetic and in reporting what DHS/CBP published, though it compares a daily average to an hourly rate (different units). Verdict: True — the numeric claim matches DHS/CBP figures, but the comparison mixes daily and hourly measures.
  3. Original article · Feb 05, 2026
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