[Excerpt] According to the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), the number of illegal alien apprehensions between southern ports of entry (POE) in the United States has generally declined from about 1.6 million in FY2000 to nearly 420,000 in FY2013. Much of this downward trend has occurred since FY2005. Apprehensions of unauthorized migrants by the USBP along the U.S.-Mexico border fell from about 1.2 million in FY2005 to a 41-year low of 328,000 in FY2011, before climbing to 357,000 in FY2012 and 414,397 in FY2013.