--- title: Border Crossings Down Under Trump 'Zero Tolerance' Policy description: Border crossings fell 18% in June under Trump "zero tolerance" policy canonical: https://time.com/5331196/border-crossings-dropped-nearly-20-under-trumps-zero-tolerance-policy/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-07-05T19:57:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T20:46:30.214Z article:section: Politics og:title: Border Crossings Dropped Nearly 20% Under Trump's 'Zero Tolerance' Policy og:description: The decline follows months of upticks in crossings this year og:url: https://time.com/5331196/border-crossings-dropped-nearly-20-under-trumps-zero-tolerance-policy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt86bdd43fd07d02bd/6989345b86f68e306e6e98c8/gettyimages-979507074.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: President Trump's "Zero Tolerance" Mexico Border Policy Stirs Controversy And Confusion og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Border Crossings Dropped Nearly 20% Under Trump's 'Zero Tolerance' Policy twitter:description: The decline follows months of upticks in crossings this year twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt86bdd43fd07d02bd/6989345b86f68e306e6e98c8/gettyimages-979507074.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Border Crossings Dropped Nearly 20% Under Trump's 'Zero Tolerance' Policy > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=99a9656b-9b9a-402c-8050-139e2a5f14dd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=99a9656b-9b9a-402c-8050-139e2a5f14dd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=99a9656b-9b9a-402c-8050-139e2a5f14dd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=99a9656b-9b9a-402c-8050-139e2a5f14dd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 5, 2018 7:57 PM UTC  U.S. Border Patrol agents check passports at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry, where the U.S. and Mexico border meet, as people walk across the bridge to enter the United States on June 20, 2018 in El Paso, Texas. U.S. Border Patrol agents check passports at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry, where the U.S. and Mexico border meet, as people walk across the bridge to enter the United States on June 20, 2018 in El Paso, Texas. Joe Raedle—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 5, 2018 7:57 PM UTC Apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border fell in June amid the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, under which any person caught crossing the border illegally is criminally prosecuted. There was an 18% drop in illegal border crossings between May and June, according to new data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. A total of 34,114 migrants were apprehended at the border in June, down from 40,338 in May and 38,243 in April. The decline follows months of upticks in crossings this year after historic lows in 2017\. Border crossings are still far below the peak that was reached in decades past. Department of Homeland Security Press Secretary Tyler Houlton referred to the “zero tolerance” policy in a Thursday statement about the new figures. “As we have said before, the journey north is dangerous and puts individuals in the hands of smugglers and traffickers,” Houlton’s statement reads. “We continue to call on Congress to address the crisis at the border by closing legal loopholes that drive illegal immigration.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced this past spring that officials would be implementing the zero tolerance policy as a way of getting tough on illegal immigration. The policy faced intense backlash because it led to the separation of thousands of children from their parents at the border, as children could not be incarcerated with their parents. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June to curtail the practice of separating families. Still, as many as 3,000 kids remain in federal custody away from their parents. As of last week, the administration is under a court order to reunite families within a short timeframe. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5331196/border-crossings-dropped-nearly-20-under-trumps-zero-tolerance-policy/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5331196/border-crossings-dropped-nearly-20-under-trumps-zero-tolerance-policy/"},"headline":"Border Crossings Dropped Nearly 20% Under Trump's 'Zero Tolerance' Policy","datePublished":"2018-07-05T19:57:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:46:30.214Z","description":"The decline follows months of upticks in crossings this year","url":"https://time.com/5331196/border-crossings-dropped-nearly-20-under-trumps-zero-tolerance-policy/","keywords":["Immigration","Donald Trump","trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt86bdd43fd07d02bd/6989345b86f68e306e6e98c8/gettyimages-979507074.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt86bdd43fd07d02bd/6989345b86f68e306e6e98c8/gettyimages-979507074.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Trump's \"Zero Tolerance\" Mexico Border Policy Stirs Controversy And Confusion","caption":"President Trump's \"Zero Tolerance\" Mexico Border Policy Stirs Controversy And Confusion","creditText":"Joe Raedle—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5331196/border-crossings-dropped-nearly-20-under-trumps-zero-tolerance-policy/","name":"Border Crossings Dropped Nearly 20% Under Trump's 'Zero Tolerance' Policy"}}]}] ```