San Diego is now the leading region for new migrants along the southern border, for the first time since decades.

San Diego had 8,989 arrests for migrants in the week ending on April 16. The agency published the figures on X. Tucson, which had previously been the region with the most crossings, had 7,500 arrests in the week ending April 19, according to figures posted by the agency on X.

The numbers seem to be increasing. San Diego Chief Border Patrol agent Patricia McGurk Daniel wrote on X, that 9,513 migrants had been arrested by Tuesday. This is a 36% rise from two weeks earlier.

According to agency statistics, San Diego is no longer the leading region in terms of migrant arrests. This has been true since October 1999. San Diego was ranked first for a full year in 1997.

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Adam Isacson is the director of defense oversight for Washington Office on Latin America. This research and advocacy group does not shy away from stating that this shift in policy is important.

The smuggling route has changed over the years. It was consistent for a long time, but it’s now shifting every few months, partly because of the global migration surge to the U.S. after the pandemic.

San Diego had the most migrants between 1973 and 1997. Then Tucson was the leader until 2012.

Rio Grande Valley, Texas has seen the most migration since 2013. Monthly agency figures from 2020 to May 2022 show this trend continuing except for the month of Del Rio.

Since then, the number of migrants arriving along the border has changed every few months. Del Rio was the first, followed by El Paso, Rio Grande and then Tucson. San Diego may become the fifth if weekly trends continue.

Isacson stated that smugglers would tell migrants which border to use based on their relationships with organized crime and corrupt government officials. He said that this seems to be changing.

Isacson also said that the shift is due to the increased use of cellphones by migrants. He said that migrants receive information through “TikTok, WhatsApp, and what they hear from shelters and other migrants on the road.”

He said, “They are getting the news in a manner that you could not really get before.”

Isacson stated that the number of arrests in Texas is at its lowest level since October 2019. This is partly because the Mexican government has increased enforcement against migrants who travel on freight trains from Mexico up to Texas.

Mexican officials are less likely to disrupt migration to Baja California than other countries, according to a senior Customs and Border Protection officer who spoke anonymously to allow him to speak freely.

Tijuana, unlike other border towns in Texas, is a major metropolitan area. Some migrants use legal travel methods to reach Mexico – some fly directly, while others take buses.

Border Patrol is less able to respond quickly to crossings that occur inland.

Officials said that the Department of Homeland Security, which supervises the Border Protection Agency, is working on revocation of visas or sanctions against charter transport companies who move people towards the border.

Officials said that the agency is relocating personnel and resources to the area in response to this trend. Some migrants are being moved to other regions with fewer arrivals, and greater processing capacity.

The Biden administration has recently allocated $45 millions to California programs which help migrants who have crossed over the southern border.