Homeland Security Reports Significant Drop in Illegal Immigrant Encounters
On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it has successfully completed six consecutive months without apprehending and releasing any unauthorized immigrants at the southern border.
The department noted that this trend reflects a sustained period of stability not only at the U.S.-Mexico border but also at northern borders and airports.
Customs and Border Protection recorded 30,561 encounters with unauthorized migrants nationwide last month, marking the lowest total for October on record. This figure represents a 79% decrease compared to October 2024 during President Biden’s administration.
“History made,” declared Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Thank you, President Trump and our brave DHS law enforcement. You make America proud!”
The current catch-and-release statistics are particularly noteworthy. During Biden’s presidency, there were instances where over 100,000 migrants were released by Border Patrol in a single month.
The department emphasized that every migrant apprehended is now processed according to legal protocols, resulting in either removal or referral to other federal or state agencies for further action.
This approach is described as unprecedented in modern border history. In October alone, agents apprehended an average of just 258 individuals daily across the entire 1,954-mile border, totaling approximately 8,000 for the month.
This number is an increase from an all-time low of about 4,600 in July but remains significantly lower than any monthly figures recorded during Biden’s term.
Overall, including northern borders, Border Patrol reported 9,845 apprehensions in October.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott stated: “Our mission is simple: secure the border and safeguard this nation. And that’s exactly what we are doing. No excuses. No politics.”
No other issue has seen such dramatic shifts over the past decade as border security. When Trump left office in January 2021, he had established a largely secure border through executive measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration and reducing catch-and-release practices.
Biden reversed many of these policies early in his administration by halting border wall construction and revoking Trump-era regulations, which led to an unprecedented influx at the border.
By his term’s end: Biden began to reintroduce some Trump-style policies—though less aggressively—which contributed to a decline in numbers.Trump has since resumed wall construction: implementing even stricter measures than before and achieving record lows in migrant encounters.
