The Biden-era border crisis is officially over. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, illegal border crossings have dropped to historic lows, proving that strong policies and decisive action get results.
As reported by The Independent Journal Review, the latest data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirms what conservatives have been saying all along—enforcement works.
In February, Border Patrol agents apprehended just 8,347 illegal migrants along the southern border, marking a staggering 71% decrease from January’s 29,101 apprehensions.
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Even more remarkable, this figure represents a 94% drop from the chaos of February 2024, when over 140,000 illegal migrants flooded the border under the previous administration’s weak policies.
The numbers paint a clear picture: Nationwide, Border Patrol averaged just 330 apprehensions per day in February, while the southern border specifically saw fewer than 300 per day.
These figures, released by CBP, reflect the most dramatic reduction in illegal crossings in modern history.
The administration is touting this success as “the lowest average of nationwide apprehensions in CBP history,” crediting Trump’s executive orders for the swift turnaround.
Acting CBP Commissioner Pete Flores praised the results, stating:
“The men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection continue to aggressively implement the President’s Executive Orders to secure our borders, and as a result of this leadership, we have achieved historic lows in border apprehensions.”
He reaffirmed CBP’s commitment to prioritizing American safety and ensuring that violators of U.S. law face consequences.
Trump wasted no time upon returning to office, signing a series of executive orders aimed at restoring border security. Among them was a national emergency declaration, which allowed the administration to redirect military resources toward finishing the border wall—a project Biden deliberately halted.
Trump also took a hard-line stance against drug cartels, designating them as foreign terrorist organizations, a move designed to cut off their influence at the border.
Additionally, his orders included a suspension of refugee admissions and an attempt to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal migrants.
The administration also turned up the pressure on America’s neighbors. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to help combat illegal migration and drug trafficking.
Canada, too, was forced to bolster its border security commitments in response to Trump’s demands.
The results were almost immediate. On February 16, border czar Tom Homan reported just 229 encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border—an astonishing decline from the 11,000 daily crossings that were common under Biden.
Homan, a seasoned veteran of border enforcement, remarked that he had not seen numbers this low since 1984.
Just days later, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed another record low: a mere 200 migrant encounters on February 22—the lowest single-day number in over 15 years.
Illegal migration routes are drying up. The Darien Gap, a notoriously dangerous jungle passage between Colombia and Panama used by migrants heading north, saw a 94% drop in crossings this January compared to last year, according to Panama’s National Migration Service.
Reports even suggest that migrants are voluntarily turning back, realizing their chances of entering the U.S. illegally have dwindled under Trump’s strict enforcement.
Meanwhile, the administration continues to dismantle Biden’s disastrous open-border policies. The CBP One app, which was previously used to schedule asylum interviews at the border, was scrapped and repurposed into the CBP Home app.
Unlike its predecessor, this new version doesn’t enable illegal migrants to skirt the law—it facilitates self-deportation.
The evidence is undeniable. When America enforces its borders, illegal crossings plummet. Trump’s policies have proven, once again, that securing the nation isn’t complicated—it just takes the will to do it.
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