Vice President JD Vance won a victory lap when he toured the southern borders on Wednesday, celebrating the sharp decline in border encounters that were directly linked to Trump administration's policies.
Vance toured the border of Eagle Pass, Texas, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. They met with Texas officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott, took an aerial tour of the border and observed the spread of the recently built border wall.
In his remarks to the media, Vance referenced President Donald Trump's remarks in his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
Vance heads towards the southern border as Trump promotes a sharp drop at the intersection: “They heard me.”
Eagle Pass, Texas – March 5: US Vice President JD Vance is turning his eyes as director of national intelligence when he visited the US-Mexico border on March 5, 2025 at Eagle Pass, Texas. ((Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images))
“We didn't need new laws, we didn't need flashy laws, we needed a new president of the United States, and thank God.
The trio also visited Border Patrol Detention Facilities before participating in roundtable discussions with local and national participants.
“Border security is national security,” Heggs told Fox News before his trip. He said, “We're sending those people home, but we don't allow any more. You're watching it now.”
Vance pointed to figures saying that intersections have dropped from 1,500 a day to 30 a day, with 85% dropping in people dying at the border.
Trump respects the lives of Rayken Riley and Joselyn Nungarei while celebrating his progress in securing the border
“Every day we keep this border safe, that means there is less immigration crime. That means there is less fentanyl coming to our community. That means more of the safety and security of the people in the United States,” he said.
“Our mission is very clear. Our aim is to keep American people safe,” Gabbard said, highlighting the president's designation of the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
US President Donald Trump is working on a joint Congressional meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on March 4, 2025. Vice President J.D. V. V. V. V. V. V. V. and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) applaud him. (Get McNamee/Pool via Reuters)
The campaign, centered around cracking down on illegal immigration, had declared a national emergency at the border and signed executive orders to deploy the military. He also ordered the reopening of border wall construction and the end of Biden's parole policy.
The Pentagon quickly deployed its troops and opened Guantanamo Bay to migrant flights. Ministry of Homeland Security The State Department has secured additional cooperation with the state to return immigrants, stripped of restrictions on internal enforcement and expanded the use of rapid removal.
This is in addition to the internal affairs enforcement campaign that led to the arrest of thousands of illegal immigrants across the country, including “sanctuary” cities.
In February there were 8,326 tropical border encounters, falling from 189,913 in February 2024. So far, it has removed more than 55,000 illegal immigrants from the United States.
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Border Patrol sources told Fox News that there were only 271 encounters across the southern border on Tuesday, with only 14 in the Del Rio sector, where Vance is visiting.
Trump also pointed to a drop in the intersection between his address Tuesday evening.
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“Within a few hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency at the southern border, deployed US troops and border patrols to fight back our country's invasions, and the work they did. As a result, last month, illegal border intersections were recorded more than ever before,” he said.
“They heard me, but they chose not to come.”
Brooke Taylor and the Associated Press of Fox News contributed to this report.
