Data Tracks Where 4.5 Million Migrants Settled After Border Releases

An Associated Press analysis of federal records tracked the self-reported destinations of 4.5 million migrants released after U.S.-Mexico border crossings between October 2018 and July 2025. AP obtained the data by FOIA. The files list destination ZIP codes, nationalities, ages, genders, and encounter details. Migrants came from more than 150 countries, and CBP recorded 174 countries in one year. Named nationalities include India, Ecuador, Ghana, China, Venezuela, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Guatemala. For the first time since the 1970s, nearly a majority of crossers were women or children. New York and Miami remained major hubs, while smaller places also appeared, including Elkhart, Indiana; Knoxville, Tennessee; Dodge City, Kansas; Paterson, New Jersey; Spring Valley, New York; Aurora; Queens; Cincinnati; Tulsa; and Chattanooga. Cincinnati drew West African migrants, Tulsa Mexican families, and Chattanooga Guatemalan women and children. Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas, and the Silicon Valley area were among locations newly reporting significant numbers. Migrants are required to report addresses to keep legal status and work eligibility. AP cautioned that some may not have reached or remained at the addresses given.