Migrant arrests drop at US-Mexico border as Biden asylum ban rolls out

The number of migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border dropped on Friday, a senior U.S. border official told Reuters, saying it signaled a restrictive new Biden administration policy was deterring some illegal immigration.

U.S. Border Patrol arrested around 3,100 people crossing illegally, down roughly 20% from the days before, the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss preliminary figures.

"It's still too early to say this is a definitive trend," the official said. "But I think it is indicative of some possible early success."