The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reportedly encountered record-low numbers of illegal immigrants and unaccompanied minors at the southwest border.
Illegal immigrant and unaccompanied minor encounters at the southwest border reached record highs during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Now, DHS is reporting a roughly 95% and 92% decrease in overall illegal immigrant and unaccompanied alien children (UAC), respectively.
In February 2025, DHS reported 11,709 illegal immigrant encounters at the southwest border, as opposed to the nearly 190,000 encountered in February 2024.
In a similar fashion, UAC encounters were at 814 in February 2025, contrasting with the 10,350 encounters in February 2024.
“President Donald Trump and Secretary Noem are stopping the exploitation and trafficking of children,” reads a DHS statement. “Thanks to strong leadership, we now have the most secure border in American history.”
President Trump heavily campaigned on strong immigration enforcement and policing to both detain illegal immigrants and deter future ones from attempting to unlawfully enter the US.
Once President, Trump declared a national emergency to enable the executive branch broader access to tools that can be used to curtail illegal immigration.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has since then led a major effort to effectively police the US’ borders not just to prevent illegal immigration, but also human trafficking, drug smuggling, and other transnational crimes.
Secretary Noem recently brandished unpublished DHS data demonstrating record lows for immigrant encounters during the month of March 2025.
“Under President Donald Trump, our borders are more secure than ever in American history,” claimed Noem. “Border Patrol encounters for the month of March were 7,181 total. Compare that to the ~160,000 average monthly encounters under Joe Biden.”
Some immigration advocacy groups have criticized the administration’s policies as heavy-handed and unjustified, which administration officials have brushed aside.
Recent polls demonstrate Trump’s immigration policies are the most popular among the administration’s initiatives.
