Border apprehensions drop as immigration crackdown continues

COLLEEN LONG and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of migrants apprehended at the southern U.S. border declined in September for the fourth straight month, Trump administration officials said Tuesday. Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan said border officials encountered about 52,000 migrants at the border last month — down about 65% from the peak in May of about 144,000. The news will likely be greeted with glee by President Donald Trump, who has used the monthly tally as a benchmark for whether his hardline immigration policies are working. Curbing immigration has been Trump's signature issue, but the overall numbers rose dramatically under his watch. The number of people encountered at the border during the 2019 budget ye