US border security under President Donald Trump has reached levels of enforcement and control that his predecessors only promised but never delivered, with new data showing an unprecedented collapse in illegal crossings and a dramatic tightening of immigration enforcement.
According to the Gateway Pundit, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) logged its eighth consecutive month with zero illegal border crossings in December, while overall border encounters fell to historic lows. First Quarter apprehensions along the border dropped a staggering 95 percent compared with the average during the Biden years, underscoring the stark contrast between the current administrations enforcement posture and the previous eras permissive approach.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem credited the turnaround directly to the White House. Thanks to President Trumps leadership and the dedication of DHS law enforcement, Americas borders are safer than any time in our nations history. What President Trump and our CBP agents and officers have been able to do in a single year is nothing short of extraordinary, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in an X post on Friday.
Noem emphasized that the results are not a one-month anomaly but part of a sustained pattern of enforcement. Once again, we have a record low number of encounters at the border and the 8th straight month of zero releases. Month after month, we are delivering results that were once thought impossible: the most secure border in history and unmatched enforcement successes.
In a press release highlighting the administrations achievements, CBP cited historic levels of lowest encounter totals, lowest illegal crossings, and robust drug interdictions, alongside aggressive trade enforcement and tariff collection. The agency reported 91,603 border encounters in the First Quarter of fiscal year 2026, a figure 25 percent below the previous low of 121,496 recorded in 2012.
CBP further noted that US Border Patrol recorded the lowest number of apprehensions along the southwest border ever in the first quarter of a fiscal year (21,815 in FY2026), which was 95% lower than the first quarter average under the Biden administration, they say. December apprehensions were 96 percent lower than the Biden-era average and even fewer than the number of encounters recorded in just four days in December 2024, with none of those apprehended released into the interior of the country.
The enforcement surge has also hit the cartels bottom line, with CBP seizing 39,030 pounds of illicit drugs in recent reporting, including 865 pounds of fentanyl, 12,833 pounds of methamphetamine, 3,793 pounds of cocaine, 164 pounds of heroin, and 14,445 pounds of marijuana. At the same time, the agency has intensified its role in economic security, identifying $28.4 billion in duties owed from imports last month alone.
That trade enforcement push has brought total tariffs, taxes, and fees collected by CBP since President Trump took office on January 20 to $297 billion, reinforcing his long-standing argument that strong borders and strong trade policy go hand in hand. Our agents and officers have set a new standard for border security, achieving historic results that speak for themselves, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said.
The men and women of CBP are demonstrating whats possible through unwavering commitment and effective enforcement and will continue to ensure the safety and security of our nations borders every single day. Beyond the border itself, DHS reported in October that more than 2.5 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administrations crackdown on illegal immigration, including an estimated 1.9 million self-deportations and more than 622,000 deportations.
These figures underscore a fundamental policy shift: illegal entry is no longer rewarded with catch-and-release but met with removal and deterrence. For Americans concerned about sovereignty, crime, and the strain on public resources, the data reflect a border strategy rooted in law, accountability, and national interest rather than ideological experimentation.
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