A second plane with migrants arrives in California 4:41

(CNN) -- The number of daily encounters with migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border remains low nearly a month after Title 42, a restriction implemented early in the pandemic that allowed authorities to quickly turn away migrants, was suspended, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Tuesday. for its acronym in English).

Authorities braced for a spike in irregular crossings after the measure expired last month. While officials now warn that migration flows may change, the U.S. Border Patrol's average of 3,400 daily encounters marks a significant reduction from the nearly 10,000 daily encounters days before Title 42 enforcement was suspended.

Why did the number of migrants fall after the end of Title 42? 2:00

"As a result of planning and execution — which combined more severe consequences of irregular entry and a historic expansion of legal pathways and processes — illegal entries along the southwest border decreased by more than 70% since May 11," the department said in a news release Tuesday.

The most common nationalities among migrants found at the border were Mexican, Honduran and Guatemalan.

Biden administration officials repeatedly cite a mobile app for migrants to apply to turn themselves in to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as programs that allow certain people to apply to legally migrate to enter the United States as some of the factors that have contributed to a decline in encounters.

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"We are aware, however, that conditions in the hemisphere driving unprecedented movements of people remain present and that cartels and coyotes will continue to spread disinformation about any potential policy changes at the border in order to put migrants' lives at risk for profit," the department added. "We will remain vigilant and continue to execute our plan, making adjustments when necessary."

Officials repeatedly warned that an increase in irregular migration would occur after the expiration of Title 42 and worsen an already difficult humanitarian crisis at the southern border. Those warnings led to thousands of federal troops being moved to the southern border and U.S. cities rushing to prepare for what has ultimately been a smaller-than-expected influx of migrants.

CNN's Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.

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