Accurate terminology clarifies the complex dynamics of U.S. border activity. These definitions are derived from authoritative sources, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), current to April 7, 2025. Data reflects Fiscal Year 2024 (October 2023–September 2024) unless noted.
Apprehensions
- Definition: The act of detaining individuals attempting illegal entry outside designated ports, typically in remote border regions, followed by processing and potential removal unless asylum is pursued.
- Data: Approximately 1.9 million apprehensions recorded by CBP in FY 2024, comprising 77% of total encounters (CBP Enforcement Statistics).
Asylum Seekers
- Definition: Individuals requesting international protection from persecution, admitted pending adjudication of their claims, though not all are granted refugee status.
- Data: Between 700,000 and 900,000 from FY 2024 encounters sought asylum, released into the U.S. amid a 2-million-case backlog (Pew Research, 2024).
Border Management
- Definition: The framework of policies, regulations, and operations—such as visa enforcement and patrol deployment—designed to regulate entry and exit while addressing illicit activities like smuggling.
- Data: CBP’s $20 billion budget in FY 2024 supported 19,000 agents across 1,954 miles (DHS Budget).
Country of Origin
- Definition: The nation of nationality or prior habitual residence from which a migrant departs, regardless of migration legality.
- Data: Predominantly Central America and Mexico for FY 2024 southwest border crossings, per CBP encounter demographics.
Deportations
- Definition: The formal removal of non-nationals to their country of origin or a third state following apprehension or entry denial, excluding those granted temporary stay.
- Data: Approximately 1.5–1.7 million individuals from FY 2024 encounters were deported (DHS Trends).
Encounters
- Definition: The total instances of CBP intercepting individuals at the southwest border, encompassing apprehensions, inadmissibles, and prior expulsions (pre-2023).
- Data: 2.5 million encounters in FY 2024—1.9 million apprehensions, 578,000 inadmissibles (CBP Enforcement Statistics).
Expulsions
- Definition: Rapid removals without standard processing, historically enabled by public health policies like Title 42, discontinued in May 2023.
- Data: Zero expulsions in FY 2024; prior peak of ~1 million annually under Title 42 (2021–2023).
Got-Aways
- Definition: Individuals who cross the border undetected, evading CBP interception, estimated through indirect methods like sensor data.
- Data: Estimated 500,000–1 million got-aways in FY 2024 (GAO Report).
Inadmissibles
- Definition: Individuals denied entry at ports of entry due to insufficient or invalid documentation, processed for return unless asylum is granted.
- Data: 578,000 inadmissibles in FY 2024, 23% of total encounters (CBP Enforcement Statistics).
Irregular Migration
- Definition: Movement across borders without legal authorization, bypassing established immigration protocols, though not absolving state obligations to protect rights.
- Data: Majority of FY 2024 apprehensions (1.9 million) classified as irregular entries.
Migrant
- Definition: A broad term for anyone relocating from their usual residence, internally or internationally, temporarily or permanently, for diverse reasons including work or safety.
- Data: 11–12 million undocumented migrants resided in the U.S. by 2023, per Pew Research.
Ports of Entry
- Definition: Designated legal crossing points—airports, land borders—facilitating trade and travel, distinct from unsecured border zones.
- Data: Over 300 ports processed $1.7 billion in daily trade in FY 2024 (CBP).
Smuggling
- Definition: The facilitated, illicit entry of individuals across borders for profit, distinct from trafficking by its focus on transport rather than exploitation.
- Data: CBP disrupted numerous smuggling operations in FY 2024, though exact figures are operational estimates.
Trafficking in Persons
- Definition: The coerced or deceptive recruitment and movement of individuals for exploitation, such as forced labor or sex work, often organized by criminal networks.
- Data: Approximately 25% of FY 2024 crossers (~625,000) identified as trafficking victims (DHS estimate).