Trump Achieves a Year Without Migrant Releases at the Southwest Border as Illegal Crossings Drop by 94 Percent

DHS Reports Record Border Security Under Trump Administration

This week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that April was the twelfth straight month without releases of illegal aliens apprehended by Border Patrol at the southwestern border with Mexico. This achievement is being touted as a hallmark of border security under President Donald Trump. Reportedly, illegal border crossings have plummeted by 94 percent since President Biden took office, with daily crossings now lower than what agents encountered hourly during the peak of the crisis in 2023.

The DHS Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, emphasized the significance of this development, stating, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we have the most secure border in American history. The days of catch-and-release are over. We are enforcing our nation’s laws and returning illegal aliens to their home countries.”

In comparison, two years prior, Border Patrol agents released over 68,000 individuals into the U.S. interior. This was based on directives from President Biden and then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to CBP Director Rodney Scott.

Scott commented, “What a difference, America!” in a statement shared on Friday.

DHS provided the following statistics to highlight border security and illegal immigration trends over the last year:

Border Security Improvements:

In April, U.S. Border Patrol recorded 8,943 arrests along the Southwest border, marking a 94% decrease compared to the Biden administration’s monthly average. A 96% drop is anticipated below the peak numbers recorded in December 2023.

Overall Apprehensions:

The current fiscal year has seen lower apprehension numbers than the monthly averages observed in the past 30 years.

Daily Average Apprehensions:

April’s daily average of 298 apprehensions was 94% lower than under the Biden administration. During the peak period in December 2023, apprehensions reached 336 per hour, contrasting sharply with current figures.

CBP Encounters:

Total encounters this year stand at 215,876, which is 13% less than the encounters recorded in April 2024 alone.

In May 2024, it was reported that 129,000 migrants had been apprehended in the previous month, raising the total since FY2017 to 1.2 million. A CBP report indicated that the cumulative total for the fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2025, is 54,789, reflecting a 95% decrease.

Additionally, DHS has noted a significant increase in drug seizures, including cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana, as agents have shifted their focus from managing overwhelming detention centers to securing the border.

According to DHS, “This fiscal year, CBP has seized 61% more drugs through April than during the same timeframe in fiscal year 2024 and 53% more than the average seizures over the past four years for this period.”

Homeland Security officials contend that the steep drop in illegal immigration, alongside a spike in drug seizures, demonstrates a substantial turnaround since the Biden-Mayorkas period, during which more than 68,000 migrants entered the U.S. interior in a single month. “President Trump’s border security policies are making all Americans safer every minute of every day,” Scott asserted. With arrests down 95% year-to-date and drug seizures on the rise, DHS insists the numbers are telling: the era of catch-and-release is behind us.