The Trump administration noted this month again that no illegal aliens have been released into the country for the 10th straight month after the president ordered the Department of Homeland Security to once again begin enforcing the nation’s immigration laws shortly after taking office.
The dramatic reversal in cross-border traffic comes after nearly four years of open border policies during the Biden-Harris administration, when an estimated 10 million-plus migrants were allowed to cross into the U.S. illegally and then stay.
“Ten straight months of ZERO illegal aliens released at the border. President Trump promised to secure the Border, and that is a promise we delivered,” then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said two weeks ago. “We have the most secure border in American history. Our borders are CLOSED to lawbreakers.”
“February marks the tenth straight month that U.S. Border Patrol has not released a single illegal alien into the interior of the United States — a clear reflection of the enforcement-first posture restoring integrity to our nation’s borders,” added Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott. “While threats to our national and economic security continue to evolve, so does our resolve to meet them, as we carry out our mission of protecting the homeland while facilitating lawful travel and trade.”
Recent data shows a sustained decline in illegal border crossings and apprehensions, with levels reported at their lowest point in more than three decades, a DHS fact sheet published March 19 revealed.
Officials say daily apprehensions have dropped significantly compared to previous periods, and that monthly totals have remained below 9,000 for 13 consecutive months along the southwest border.
Supporters of current enforcement policies argue the figures reflect the impact of stricter border measures, while the data has been cited as evidence of improved border security.
According to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there were 26,963 encounters nationwide in February, representing a 22% decrease from the previous month and an 88% drop compared to the average during President Biden’s administration.
At the southwest border, agents apprehended 6,603 individuals in February, a figure that the agency described as 92% lower than the monthly average over the past three decades and 97% below the peak recorded in December 2023 during Biden’s administration.
Officials also noted a significant decline in daily crossings, with Border Patrol averaging 236 apprehensions per day in February, a 95% decrease compared to the previous administration.
In contrast, CBP reported a surge in drug seizures, with agents confiscating over 79,000 pounds of narcotics nationwide last month—the highest monthly total since October 2021. The agency noted that fentanyl seizures increased by 67% from January, while seizures of marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine also saw significant rises.
According to Scott, the agency remains focused on enforcement and national security. “While threats to our national and economic security continue to evolve, so does our resolve to meet them as we carry out our mission of protecting the homeland while facilitating lawful travel and trade,” he said.
Earlier this month, Border Czar Tom Homan revealed the heartbreaking reason why he joined President Trump to help the southern border. Speaking with Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow, Homan described in detail what he characterized as the human and social costs of policies promoting mass illegal immigration.
“I mean, this is the second time I came out of retirement for the president. It’s hard to say no to the president of the United States and help him fix something where thousands of lives have been lost,” Homan said. “So I knew the hate was coming. And, you know, unfortunately, my family pays the price. I haven’t lived with my family in months because of the death threats against me. But my family understands the important mission.”
Homan said his critics would better understand his commitment to border security if they had experienced what he has over the past three and a half decades.