The U.S. experienced significant challenges along its southern border during President Biden’s time in office, marked by what some have labeled an expensive and perilous “intrusion.” During this administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection noted around 11 million encounters with undocumented migrants and other individuals trying to cross the border. Many of these encounters resulted in migrants being returned to their home countries.
However, things seem to have shifted under the Trump administration.
For example, in the fiscal year 2024, there were about 2.9 million total border encounters, with 691,906 happening last year. If the current downward trend continues into September, we might witness even further decreases. In contrast, from October to March in fiscal 2025, only 531,301 encounters were logged compared to 182,585 during the same period this fiscal year.
While the diminishment of border insecurity is noteworthy, the Department of Homeland Security recently reported another achievement—zero migrant releases at the southern border for the eleventh month running.
The Trump administration has evidently made strides in reducing the number of legal immigrants entering the U.S. David Beer, a migration studies director at the Cato Institute, pointed out that in discussions about immigration, Trump has been criticized for significantly curbing legal immigration. His efforts have often been described as a shift away from the previous administration’s policies.
Beer noted that the legal admission of asylum seekers to the southern border plummeted nearly 99.9% from December 2024 to February 2025, attributing this to the discontinuation of the scheduling app CBP One, which was used to manage asylum requests.
In a broader context, the top countries for refugees admitted during the last year of Biden’s presidency included Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Venezuela. Interestingly, though, the Trump administration reduced refugee admissions significantly. Enrollment figures fell from 96,635 between February 2024 and January 2025 to only 2,157 from February 2025 to January 2026, with a cap set at just 7,500 refugees for 2026.
Beer criticized what he termed the “most anti-legal immigration regime in American history,” indicating it wasn’t limited to just asylum seekers. He mentioned government policies that saw a rejection of immigrant visas and restrictions on visa issuance to various nationalities, predicting a dramatic drop in the number of immigrant visas available as a consequence.
Interestingly, a Pew Research Center poll from September revealed that many Americans support limiting foreign students from countries like China, India, Nigeria, South Korea, and Canada. Half of the respondents favored limits on Chinese students, while support for limiting Indian students was at 44%. Comparatively, the number of student visas issued during peak months dropped by 40%, and projections for 2026 suggest a further decrease.
Bier also provided feedback regarding the controversial H-1B visa program that permits U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for specialized roles. There was concern that an increase in fees for H-1B applications might result in a significant reduction in visa issuances.
He concluded by expressing a certain sympathy, acknowledging the impact of these legal immigration cuts on families wishing to reunite. Still, his stance remained firm that these policies also threatened American economic well-being and could worsen the deficit.
