WESLACO – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said there’s a decline in apprehensions along the southern border.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS reached out to ICE after an interview earlier this week with Sister Norma Pimentel at the Sacred Heart Respite Center in McAllen. She said the number of people they were seeing has declined.

We wanted to know if this was due to fewer people crossing the border illegally or if they were being held longer in detention centers.

ICE officials said the number of people arrested along the border fluctuates throughout the year. They sent us the following statement:

The number of aliens arrested along the southern U.S. border fluctuates through the year for various reasons.  Most recently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is experiencing fewer apprehensions being conducted along the southern border. ICE has not made any changes to how individuals are processed and/or are detained. ICE custody determinations are conducted on a case-by-case basis, considering all the merits and factors of each case while adhering to agency priorities, guidelines and legal mandates. ICE remains focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes threats to national security, public safety and border security.