U.S. border agents are expected to make fewer arrests this month at the U.S.-Mexico border compared to last month.

Preliminary figures from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official reviewed by Reuters project a 16 percent drop in arrests from a month ago, with an estimated 34,000 people being arrested in June.

In May, 40,344 were arrested on the southern border — the highest amount in President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE’s tenure.

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The new figure follows Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, which he began in May. The coordinated effort across immigration and border agencies to arrest and prosecute every immigrant crossing the border illegally has led to a turbulent month for the White House.

The public and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have spoken out against the most aggressive portions of the ramped-up policy, particularly DHS’s practice of separating families crossing the border together. The agency places parents in detention centers and moves children into foster care or shelters while the adults await prosecution.

The administration had argued that the practice was a necessary part in securing the border and lowering the rate of illegal immigration, but the move sparked widespread backlash when thousands of migrant children were separated from their parents.

Facing pressure to renege on the policy, Trump signed an executive order earlier this month that would allow migrant families to be detained together, though questions remain over how the administration will move to quickly reunite families.