Rumors that the U.S. government planned to stop admitting immigrants into the country through its CBP One app fueled illegal crossings at the border in December and the dramatic decline in illegal immigrant arrests last month, according to one immigration analyst.

Border Patrol agents nationwide apprehended approximately 125,000 illegal immigrants last month compared to more than 251,000 in December 2023, according to statistics that the Washington Examiner obtained Wednesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not yet released the January numbers.