Border arrests hit highest levels since 1986's amnesty bill: CBP data

Arrests by Border Patrol have soared to the highest levels since 1986, according to Customs and Border Patrol data.

Historical data shows that Border Patrol made 1.69 million arrests nationwide in 1986, the outlet reported. The data, however, doesn’t show how many of those arrests were made along the border. 

President Ronald Reagan signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law in 1986, which provided a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who had entered the country before 1982. The bill also tightened up border security and penalized employers who hired illegal immigrants. 

CBP’s Rio Grande Valley sector came in with the most arrests, at 549,000 Border Patrol apprehensions. While the Del Rio sector had 259,000 apprehensions.