About 12 years ago, during a Border Patrol-conducted tour of the San Ysidro-Tijuana border, I discovered “gotaways.” These are migrants who agents spot but are unable to apprehend. Then and now, it is not a stat the feds like to share.
The number of gotaways has varied significantly in recent years. Still, estimates suggest it’s in the hundreds of thousands annually.
In fiscal 2023, approximately 670,000 known gotaways were recorded. DHS estimated 660,000 gotaways in fiscal 2021. Some estimates suggest there may have been around 1.6 million gotaways from February 2021 through October 2024.
From fiscal years 2017-2020, approximately 500,000 total gotaways were recorded. This number rose dramatically, with an estimated 2 million gotaways from fiscal year 2021 through early fiscal year 2024.
At its peak under the Biden administration, the daily average of known gotaways reached over 1,800 per day in fiscal year 2023.
Ricardo Chavira Chicano 