Migrant Safety Shift in the Americas

New statistics from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlight a significant change in migration safety throughout the Americas. After a troubling year in 2024 marked by record fatalities, the number of migrant deaths in 2025 plummeted from 1,272 to 408.

The IOM does caution, though, that due to reporting delays—especially in isolated areas like the Sonoran Desert—these figures might still rise eventually. Nevertheless, the current data suggests a real drop in migration along the continent’s most dangerous routes.

At the U.S.-Mexico border, there was a notable decrease in migrant deaths by around 400 between 2024 and 2025; however, complete end-of-year data from both countries is still pending.

In the Caribbean, the decline was even steeper, with deaths falling by more than half. Only five fatalities were recorded on the route from the Caribbean Islands to the U.S., a significant drop from 187 the previous year.

Moreover, U.S. Customs and Border Protection indicated a nearly 90% reduction in interceptions at the southwest border in 2025, per IOM data.

In 2025, following a campaign focused on national sovereignty, President Donald Trump took office. He swiftly redirected U.S. policy towards an “America-first” and “zero-tolerance” approach to immigration.

This shift effectively ended the policies of the prior Biden administration, which had often been described, by both conservatives and some liberals, as adopting an “open-border” stance.

During that administration, the broader application of “humanitarian” parole and catch-and-release practices led to millions of undocumented entries, acting as a strong “pull factor” that encouraged individuals from various countries to undertake the risky journey towards the U.S. southern border.