Staff Reports
Border Patrol officials are giving a thumbs-up to the significant drop in encounters with illegal immigrants in the days immediately following Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Touted as the ‘Trump effect,’ reports indicate that during Trump’s first few days back in office, encounters at the southern border plummeted by a staggering 35 percent compared to the chaotic tail-end of the Biden administration.
During a mere three-day span from January 17 to 19, countless hopeful illegal entrants—1,288 on the 17th, 1,266 on the 18th, and 1,354 on the 19th—created quite a buzz. However, once Trump reclaimed the reins on January 20, the numbers dropped like a rock. The figure for that day hit 1,073, and by January 21, it had plummeted to 736, eventually culminating in just 714 encounters on January 22. All combined, these days saw a total of 2,523 encounters, a remarkable reduction that would make any border hawk cheer.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Reports from Ali Bradley, a border issues correspondent for NewsNation, confirm that even attempted illegal entries took a nosedive once Trump was back. Figures from the Office of Field Operations—an arm of Customs and Border Protection—paint a similar picture. It’s hard to believe but true, the hectic period leading up to Trump’s ascension saw a staggering 4,940 encounters. Fast forward to January 20 and 21, and that number had dropped to just 930. And by January 22, it plummeted to a paltry 45. This makes one question: could it be anything other than the Trump effect at play?
So, what triggered this immediate and dramatic fall? It seems the shuttering of the CBP One mobile app immediately after Trump’s inauguration played a pivotal role. This questionable app had allowed foreigners to schedule appointments at ports of entry, claiming asylum en route to entering the country. Rumor has it, around a million individuals exploited this system, channeling different paths into the United States. Once the app was closed down, the path for many was effectively blocked, leading to the steep decline in encounters.
Numbers Don't Lie: One Simple Stat Shows Just How Effective Trump's Illegal Immigration Crackdown Is: The first three days of Trump are a stark contrast to the final three days of Biden. https://t.co/BbItneHqV1 pic.twitter.com/3gtqkib3np
— The Western Journal (@WestJournalism) January 23, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security insiders are not holding back their assessment. Describing the decline as “the Trump effect,” they insist that the numbers were meant to reflect this newfound order at the border, contrary to the previous administration’s disarray. Trump’s first-day executive order, proudly titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” laid out a clear agenda to enforce immigration laws strictly. The sentiment behind it was unmistakable: the safety of the American people isn’t just a priority, it’s a necessity. Under his administration, effective enforcement of immigration laws was not only expected but demanded, making it clear that aliens deemed inadmissible or removable would not be lingering in the land of the free without appropriate documentation.
In just a few days back in office, Trump’s policies already demonstrated a potential path towards greater security. If the early numbers are any indication, officials are cautiously optimistic that a return to stronger border measures could begin to restore sanity in the immigration process.
