Trump Declares Border ‘Invasion’ Is Over as Apprehensions Plunge To Historic Low

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump on Saturday said the “invasion of our country” is over after the number of illegal immigrant apprehensions at the U.S.–Mexico border fell to a historic low in February, his first full month in office.

According to newly released data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Border Patrol agents recorded just 8,326 apprehensions last month—the lowest monthly total in recorded history. By contrast, during the administration of President Joe Biden, CBP reported as many as 300,000 apprehensions of illegal border crossers in a single month.

Trump credited his administration’s strict enforcement policies for the dramatic decline in border arrests. “The month of February, my first full month in office, had the LOWEST number of Illegal Immigrants trying to enter our Country in History – BY FAR!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

On his first day in office, Trump signed 10 executive orders and proclamations addressing border security and the deportation of illegal immigrants. He ended “catch and release,” shut down the CBP One app used for parole exceptions, and pressured Mexico through the threat of tariffs into deploying 10,000 troops to curb drug trafficking and tighten enforcement of immigration controls.

Trump also declared a national emergency at the border, ramped up deportations of illegal immigrants, and issued an order ending birthright citizenship.

“Thanks to the Trump Administration Policies, the Border is CLOSED to all Illegal Immigrants,“ Trump wrote. 

”Anyone who tries to illegally enter the U.S.A. will face significant criminal penalties and immediate deportation.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) echoed Trump’s sentiment. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the record low in apprehensions and emphasized the administration’s firm stance against illegal immigration.

“The world is hearing our message: do not come to our country illegally. If you do, we will find you, arrest you, and send you back,” Noem wrote in a post on social media. 

“We’re just getting started.”

Despite the administration’s success in reducing illegal crossings, Trump’s policies have drawn opposition. Last month, a group of Quaker congregations filed a lawsuit against DHS, accusing the agency of violating their religious freedom by allowing arrests of illegal immigrants attending religious services.

Additionally, multiple federal judges have blocked Trump’s executive order that ended birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, with the Trump administration vowing to appeal.

Immigration and border security were top voter priorities during the 2024 election, rivaled only by economic concerns such as inflation.

In addition to his day one actions on border security, Trump recently signed an executive order instructing all agencies to identify federally funded programs that provide financial assistance to illegal immigrants and to eliminate such aid.

“With this Executive Order, President Trump is ensuring taxpayer resources are used to protect the interests of American citizens, not illegal aliens,” a White House fact sheet states.

Also, DHS recently announced that illegal immigrants in the country must register with the federal government and that failing to do so will result in fines or imprisonment. The aim is to allow law enforcement to track and compel illegal immigrants to self-deport, while saving agency resources that would otherwise be used to carry out physical removals.

DHS also announced recently that the number of illegal immigrant arrests in the interior of the country have jumped significantly under the Trump administration, with more than 20,000 arrests in the past month, compared to around 33,000 during President Joe Biden’s last full year in office.

Estimates of the total illegal immigrant population in the United States vary significantly. 

The Department of Homeland Security estimated 11 million as of January 2022, while the Center for Immigration Studies placed the figure at 12.3 million in May 2023. The Federation for American Immigration Reform provided a higher estimate of 16.8 million in June 2023.

Trump has suggested the actual number could be as high as 21 million, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a May 2024 interview with NBC News during his tenure as a senator, speculated the total could reach up to 30 million.