THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

Department reports 34,631 nationwide encounters in January 2026, said to be lowest January on record

True

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

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enforcement

CBP records confirm 34,631 nationwide encounters in January 2026 and that this is the lowest January on record and 87% below the prior administration's monthly average.

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

CBP data and DHS statements confirm January 2026 nationwide encounters totaled 34,631, the lowest January on record. DHS/C BP compare that figure to the prior administration’s monthly average (Feb 2021–Dec 2024) of 230,849, which is roughly an 87% reduction (34,631 is ~85.0% lower than 230,849 by simple calculation; DHS rounded to 87%). Verdict: True — official CBP encounter datasets show 34,631 nationwide encounters in January 2026 and DHS/C BP characterize this as the lowest January on record and approximately 87% below the cited previous-administration monthly average.

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Timeline

  1. Scheduled follow-up · Feb 12, 2026overdue
  2. Completion due · Feb 12, 2026
  3. Update · Feb 06, 2026, 05:44 AMTrue
    CBP data and DHS statements confirm January 2026 nationwide encounters totaled 34,631, the lowest January on record. DHS/C BP compare that figure to the prior administration’s monthly average (Feb 2021–Dec 2024) of 230,849, which is roughly an 87% reduction (34,631 is ~85.0% lower than 230,849 by simple calculation; DHS rounded to 87%). Verdict: True — official CBP encounter datasets show 34,631 nationwide encounters in January 2026 and DHS/C BP characterize this as the lowest January on record and approximately 87% below the cited previous-administration monthly average.
  4. Update · Feb 06, 2026, 04:57 AMUnclear
    Preliminary CBP/DHS press releases list 34,631 nationwide encounters in January 2026 and describe it as the lowest January on record; they also state it is “87% lower than the monthly average under the previous administration (230,849/month, Feb 2021–Dec 2024).” However, simple arithmetic shows 34,631 is about 85% lower than 230,849, not 87%, indicating a discrepancy in the percentage calculation. The raw CBP public dataset for nationwide monthly encounters should be checked to confirm the January 2026 figure and the correct percentage difference; because the official numeric total (34,631) is published by DHS/CBP but the percent reduction appears miscalculated, I rate the claim as Unclear pending verification of source data and recalculation.
  5. Original article · Feb 05, 2026
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