Full Breakdown
Associated Press Analyzes CBP Data on Over 4.5 Million Migrants Released in the United States
By Drooid · · How we work
AP’s FOIA Request and Data Acquisition
In mid-2025 the Associated Press (AP) filed a Freedom of Information Act request with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for anonymized records on every person released after crossing the southern border. CBP initially pointed the AP to publicly available data, but after an appeal the agency supplied detailed files covering 5,619,982 individuals arrested by Border Patrol from Oct. 1 2018 through July 7 2025. The records included nationality, age, gender, crossing sector and, when available, the ZIP code of the migrant’s self-reported U.S. destination.
Scope and Findings of the Data
AP removed entries lacking ZIP codes and probable duplicates, leaving 3,652,313 cases from the 2018-2025 set. A separate CBP release added 858,537 migrants who entered through official ports of entry between 2021 and 2024, primarily via the CBP One online appointment system. Combined, the two data sets represent 4,510,850 migrants released into the United States. Roughly 100,000 of those individuals were assigned ZIP codes that host ICE detention centers or correctional facilities.
Geographic Concentrations and Anomalies
Mapping the ZIP-code data revealed several high-density clusters. In Karnes County, Texas, a ZIP code showed about 14,000 migrants despite the county’s total population of roughly 15,000. A Dallas ZIP code listed nearly 19,000 Venezuelan migrants, while the city’s overall population is about 50,000. AP noted that such figures likely reflect address reporting that does not correspond to actual residence, and these outliers were excluded from the final tally. The agency’s on-the-ground reporting highlighted notable settlement patterns, including a concentration of Venezuelan migrants in the Salt Lake City area and sizable African-origin communities in the Cincinnati region.
Official Responses and Methodology
CBP explained that the detailed files were produced after the AP’s appeal, emphasizing that names and precise home addresses were omitted to protect privacy under FOIA exemptions. The agency also indicated that many migrants without ZIP-code data were returned to Mexico, accounting for the large number of entries lacking destination information.
Implications for Immigration Oversight
The AP analysis provides the most comprehensive view to date of where migrants released by CBP are initially placed, offering policymakers and the public clearer insight into settlement trends and the scale of releases. By exposing concentrations in small communities and the prevalence of address reporting that may not reflect actual residence, the data could inform future decisions on resource allocation, community support services, and the design of immigration-court scheduling practices.