After years of surging illegal immigration, President Trump’s administration has moved swiftly to reverse the crisis at the southern border. Following a historic spike under President Biden that reshaped towns across the nation, the Trump administration’s policies have already slashed border crossings by staggering percentages.
During President Biden’s tenure, over 11 million illegal alien encounters were recorded nationwide, with approximately 9 million at the southern border. Federal reports also estimate that 1.7 million illegal aliens entered the country as “gotaways,” evading border authorities altogether. The foreign-born population in the United States reached a record 53 million by the end of Biden’s term, with illegal immigration accounting for roughly two-thirds of that growth, according to estimates from the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
In the first few days of President Trump’s return to office, the situation changed dramatically. Citing ABC News, the White House reported that apprehensions dropped by 85% from January 21 through January 31 compared to the same period the previous year. The numbers only improved as time went on, with a 93% decrease in crossings within eleven days of inauguration, and a 98% reduction noted by March when Vice President JD Vance visited the border.
Trump’s administration credits a series of sweeping policy changes for the rapid turnaround. These included declaring a national emergency at the southern border, deploying approximately 9,000 active-duty military personnel, and reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy. This marked a clear departure from the previous “catch-and-release” approach under Biden, which had allowed migrants to stay in the United States while awaiting court dates, sometimes scheduled years into the future.
Further measures included suspending the Refugee Admissions Program and halting mass flights of migrants from several countries that had been previously facilitated under Biden’s streamlined migration programs. In an aggressive step, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security launched an international media campaign warning potential illegal entrants that they would be hunted down and deported if they broke U.S. laws.
Changes were also made to the CBP One app, which had previously been used to facilitate large-scale migration into the interior of the United States. Rebranded as CBP Home, it now allows migrants to inform the U.S. government of their “intent to depart” rather than schedule asylum appointments remotely.
The effects of these new policies have not been limited to U.S. borders. Colombia, often used as a migration corridor, reported a 61% decline in migrant flow through the Darién Gap just one month after Trump’s inauguration. Colombian authorities directly linked the decrease to the shift in U.S. immigration policies.
The rapid shift in immigration enforcement under Trump highlights the critical role that executive leadership plays in border security. By restoring strict policies and signaling clear consequences, the administration has demonstrated that illegal immigration can be dramatically curbed when national interests are prioritized over political ideology.
