Staff Reports
The Trump administration is making waves in the often tumultuous waters of immigration enforcement, with recent data revealing that encounters at the southern border have plummeted to historic lows. Tom Homan, the designated border czar and one of the driving forces behind this overhaul, announced that only 229 Border Patrol encounters occurred in a single day. This figure is not just impressive; it’s the lowest since the 1980s. As the statistics trickle in, it becomes clear that Border Patrol’s current numbers haven’t been this low since the 1960s, a fact worth raising a trumpeting fanfare over.
If the current daily average holds, the yearly total of encounters would hover around 83,585, a stark contrast to the rampant numbers witnessed during the Biden administration. Daily encounters averaged about 5,605 under Biden’s watch, peaking at a jaw-dropping 12,600 on one day alone. Those days of astronomical figures seem to be fading away as the Trump administration implements stricter policies aimed at deterring illegal immigration and restoring some sanity to the border chaos.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller provides an update on the southern border: Since you issued your Day One Executive Orders, crossings are down approximately 95%… The cartels are enormously frustrated because they've never seen a clampdown like this before… pic.twitter.com/tyUDM0oGLj
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 10, 2025
The dramatic drop in border encounters can be directly attributed to Trump’s rigorous policy changes. Analysts from NumbersUSA credit the “Trump effect” for this impressive decline. They argue that while border activity can fluctuate, the recent numbers are indicative of a fundamental shift in the enforcement landscape since Trump reclaimed the Oval Office. Decisions like declaring a national emergency at the southern border and dismantling Biden’s less-than-effective initiatives have begun to show their fruit.
In a recent executive order, Trump mandated the identification of programs that dish out taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal migrants, cutting off the financial spigot aimed at supporting sanctuary policies. Such decisive maneuvers not only signal a return to law and order but also reflect Trump’s solid commitment to effective border security.
As the southern border’s numbers reflect this new reality, many would-be migrants are reportedly reconsidering their plans and opting to turn around rather than make the trek only to face the new stringent policies. The transportation hub that once funneled illegal crossers through the treacherous Darien Gap in Central America is now seeing diminishing traffic, signaling that the days of easy passage are dwindling.
Comparing the current situation to the illegal immigration crisis experienced during Biden’s tenure reveals a staggering contrast. In the fiscal year 2023 alone, there were over 2 million Border Patrol encounters, numbers which came crashing down in fiscal year 2024. The challenge now facing Trump is what to do about the millions who crossed the border illegally during the previous administration—an obstacle sure to lace his second term with intriguing complications, but for now, the border is looking decidedly more secure under the latest leadership
