The Trump administration has closed fiscal year 2025 with a historic milestone on border security โ the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in more than five decades, according to preliminary enforcement data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Border agents recorded 237,565 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 โ slightly above the 201,780 apprehensions in 1970 but dramatically below recent levels. The numbers represent an 87% drop compared to the average of the past four fiscal years (1.86 million apprehensions) and showcase what can happen when the federal government finally enforces immigration laws.
This achievement came even though 72% of this yearโs total apprehensions happened during the final 111 days of the Biden administration โ before President Trump returned to office and immediately began reversing his predecessorโs โopen-borderโ policies.
โFiscal year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,โ said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. โFor too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs โ and the result is the most secure border in modern history.โ
Reversing Bidenโs Border Chaos
When President Trump took office in January 2025, he inherited what many described as a border crisis fueled by Bidenโs mass-release policies. In just the first 111 days of the fiscal year, under Bidenโs watch, 172,026 apprehensions occurred โ nearly three-quarters of the yearโs total.
But once Trumpโs immigration directives took effect, the situation changed dramatically. Over the next 254 days, apprehensions plummeted to 65,539 โ just 27% of the fiscal yearโs total.
September 2025 alone saw only about 279 apprehensions per day along the Southwest border โ a staggering 95% decline compared to the Biden-era daily average of 5,110. It also marked the fifth consecutive month of zero illegal immigrant releases by Border Patrol โ a stark contrast to 9,144 releases in September 2024.
Across all entry points, CBP recorded roughly 26,000 total encounters in September, down 89% from Bidenโs monthly averages.
Strong Action From Day One
President Trump wasted no time taking decisive action to reestablish border control:
Deployed additional personnel to the southern border.
Ended โcatch-and-releaseโ, ensuring illegal migrants are no longer released while awaiting hearings.
Shut down Bidenโs CBP One app parole loophole, later repurposing the app to help migrants self-deport.
Paused parole programs and authorized ICE to cancel parole statuses.
Ordered strict enforcement of existing immigration laws, restoring morale and authority to frontline border agents.
These policies stand in sharp contrast to Bidenโs approach, which relied on controversial โparoleโ programs and insisted on new legislation instead of acting on existing laws.
Florida Gov.ย Ron DeSantisย has opened โDeportation Depotโ migrant detention center in Florida, a follow-up to the embattled โAlligator Alcatraz.โ
โDeportation Depotโ is located about 45 miles away from Jacksonville in the community of Sanderson, at the site of the Baker Correctional Institution.
The facility has the capacity for 1,500 detainees,ย Fox News reported. As of Friday, a little over 100 migrants had been moved there.
DeSantis said last month that he moved to begin work on a new facility to fulfill an urgent need for more shelter for illegal migrants as theyโre rounded up by ICE agents throughout the state.
โThere is a demand for this,โ DeSantis told reporters at the time. โIโm confident that it will be filled.โ
The opening of the new facility came a day after the $250 million โAlligator Alcatrazโ was granted a rare win by an appeals court.
The detention center was ordered to ship out all detainees and close within 60 days.ย The rulingย by Judgeย Kathleen M. Williamsย stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Friends of the Everglades and the Miccosukee Tribe that accused the Sunshine State of violating the National Environmental Policy Act.
A stay on Williamsโ ruling was granted by a three-judge panel in Atlanta on Thursday, pending an appeal. โAlligator Alcatrazโ can continue holding detainees for now.
In a video posted on his X account Thursday, DeSantis declared: โThe mission continues on immigration enforcement.โ
Sections of the U.S. border wall that had been auctioned off by the Biden administration will reportedly be returned to the Trump administration to support Trump’s “border protection plans.”
The Daily Wire previously reported that the Biden administrationย sold offย portions of the border wall in Arizona for pennies on the dollar in December, just one month before Trump reentered office in a move that critics called an attempt to hamstring the new administration. Now, those materials will be handed back over to the federal government.
GovPlanet, the government supply auctioning site that listed the border wall materials, says that it will expedite the return of the materials to the federal government, citing its support for the Trump administrationโs border security plans.
โGovPlanet has reached an agreement, working with the Office of the Border Czar, to return border wall materials that were previously deemed surplus and sourced by the federal government to GovPlanet via existing contracts,โ the company explained. โWe are expediting the transfer of these materials to support the administrationโs border protection plans.โ
Construction continues on new border wall system project near Yuma, AZ. Recently constructed border wall near Yuma, Arizona on June 3, 2020. CBP photo by Jerry Glaser.
The sale of the border wall materials, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) told The Daily Wire, was an attempt by the Biden administration to hamstring the Trump administration.
โThe Biden Administration is well aware they shouldnโt have reversed the construction of the border wall. If itโs true, theyโre purposefully hamstringing an incoming president, it wouldnโt be shocking,โ Crane charged. โWhy would they want to see President Trump succeed with policies they aggressively sabotaged?โ
The Republican Congressman from Arizona called the sale โa direct affront to the will of the people,โ who had given President Trump a mandate to secure the border just a month before The Daily Wire broke the news of the auctions.
The materials will now be handed over to a firm that has been contracted by the government to build the wall, GovPlanet says. โWe value our longstanding partnership with the U.S. government and look forward to continuing to support Americaโs federal agencies,โ GovPlanet added. โA third-party firm that has been contracted for construction of the border wall will take receipt of the materials over the next 90 days.โ
GovPlanet also said that the supplies will be returned to the federal government โat-costโ in order to โprotect the millions of dollars that U.S. taxpayers had already invested in this initiative.โ
By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/ero, Public Domain,
President Trump is doubling down…
Over the weekend, President Trump announced ICE must “expand efforts to detain and deport” illegal immigrants in “America’s largest [c]ities,” including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.”
The president’s comment came in a Truth Social post on Sunday evening after a week of anti-ICE protests that have taken place in major cities across the country, with most demonstrations remaining peaceful while others turned into violent riots in places like LA and Portland.
“Our Nationโs ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History,” Trump wrote. “Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People.”
“ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” the president added.
The immigration protests began in LA on June 7, after local ICE raids resulted in hundreds of arrests.
The president immediately deployed the National Guard to the area when protests started two weeks ago, garnering criticism from Democrats insisting their presence would only escalate tensions.
As the protests and riots expanded nationally, continuing into this weekend, violence also took hold of certain crowds, injuring both federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as demonstrators.
On Saturday, an innocent bystander was fatally shot during an organized protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, when two event peacekeepers in neon vests opened fire on a suspect, Arturo Gamboa, 24, who ran toward the crowd with a rifle, and ended up shooting the wrong person.
HOLY SHT ๐จ This is the best video on ๐. Signs on a Bridge in California read: โF*ck your protests and Your Foreign Flags. Support your local ICE Raidsโ
In spite of the protests, Trump doubled down on his efforts to deport illegal immigrants in his Sunday post.
“In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in Americaโs largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” he said. “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”
He added that he wants ICE officers “to know that REAL Americans are cheering [them] on every day.”
“The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos,” he wrote. “Thatโs why I have directed my entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia. Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States.”
The Trump administration called for a halt on deportation raids on agricultural sites, hotels and restaurants, and not to arrest “noncriminal collaterals” the New York Times reported. The move came out of fears that the sweeping raids were hurting key industries in the U.S.
NEW: Dodgers National Anthem singer sings in Spanish after being told not to, starts crying during a โstory timeโ while talking about how great of a person she is.
โBaby Nezzaโ said she decided to sing in Spanish because of the ICE raids.
Illegal Immigration in the United State via Wikimedia Commons
According to new reports, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller delivered a blunt ultimatum to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership in mid-May: ramp up arrests to 3,000 per day or face personnel changes.
During a tense meeting at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., Miller reportedly warned that regional offices failing to meet the target would see their leadership replaced. Sources familiar with the meeting said Miller left no room for interpretation โ improved numbers werenโt encouraged, they were mandatory. (RELATED: Legal Battle May Reveal Big Payouts Tied To Bidenโs Border Policies)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also in attendance, struck a more measured tone. Still, the message was clear, according to NBC News: immigration enforcement efforts must intensify and take precedence:
Misdemeanor cases for border crossings are regularly appearing in federal court, a rarity in recent years. Justice Department teams focused on other issues are being disbanded, with members being dispersed to teams focused on immigration and other administration priorities.
And prosecutors say cases without immigration components have stalled or are moving more slowly, according to documents seen by NBC News and conversations with six current and former prosecutors and a senior FBI official, who described how immigration is now a central part of discussions around whether to pursue cases.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
โImmigration status is now question No. 1 in terms of charging decisions,โ an assistant U.S. attorney said. โIs this person a documented immigrant? Is this person an undocumented immigrant? Is this person a citizen? Are they somehow deportable? What is their immigration status? And the answer to that question is now largely driving our charging decisions.โ
At least one U.S. attorneyโs office abandoned a potential federal prosecution of someone who prosecutors felt was dangerous because the case against the person lacked an immigration component, an email obtained by NBC News showed. The office instead left the case to state prosecutors.
Mobilizing National Resources
Following the confrontation, ICE launched โOperation At Large,โ a coast-to-coast initiative designed to supercharge apprehensions. The scale is unprecedented. Over 21,000 National Guard troops and 250 IRS agents have been folded into the effort, alongside thousands of ICE and federal law enforcement personnel. (RELATED: Police Case That Fueled 2020 Protests Returns To Supreme Court)
The operationโs reach has required coordination across agencies, pulling FBI and DOJ resources away from their usual focus areas and toward immigration-related priorities.
The Daily Mailhas more on Miller’s dramatic call to action:
He then reportedly gave them an open challenge and asked: ‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?’
Miller further pushed, getting into what an official called a ‘p***ing contest,’ saying: ‘What do you mean youโre going after criminals?โ
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
In a statement to the Examiner, ICE deputy assistant director of media affairs Laszlo Baksay said the descriptions were ‘inaccurate.’
However, the conservative-leaning outlet cited sources within ICE and DHS who claimed Millerโs remarks further eroded morale among rank-and-file agents, which was already low.
โHe had nothing positive to say about anybody,โ one official told the paper, describing the mood following Millerโs visit.
Another source painted a darker picture of the internal climate confronting ICE agents:
โTheyโve been threatened, told theyโre watching their emails and texts and Signals. Thatโs what is horrible about things right now. Itโs a fearful environment. Everybody in leadership is afraid. Thereโs no morale. Everybody is demoralized.โ
Despite the backlash, Miller defended the administrationโs approach during an appearance with Sean Hannity, insisting the 3,000-arrest-per-day quota is only a temporary benchmark โ and warning that agents should be prepared for that figure to rise.
Localized operations have revealed just how expansive the crackdown has become since Miller and Noem appeared at Potomac Center Plaza in Southwest D.C. Across the nation, agents have ramped up early-morning sweeps and workplace raids, often coordinated with minimal local notification. In Florida, a weeklong action labeled โOperation Tidal Waveโ resulted in 1,120 arrests โ the largest ICE enforcement action ever recorded in a single state.
Tennessee saw similar efforts, with 196 arrests in the Nashville area. The local response was sharply critical. Nashvilleโs mayor denounced the operation as out of step with the cityโs values and implemented policies limiting cooperation with ICE. Republicans in Congress are now investigating whether the mayorโs office leaked information about ICE agents โ a serious charge with national implications.
Focus on Career Criminals โ But Collateral Arrests Are Rising
Officially, the crackdown targets individuals with criminal records or prior deportation orders. But internal ICE guidance reportedly encourages officers to make โcollateral arrestsโ โ detaining illegal immigrants encountered in the field, even if they werenโt the original target and have no criminal history.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/us_icegov/54295293536/in/photostream/, Creative Commons Attribution-Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal (CC BY-NC-SA 1.0)
The broader approach has raised legal and logistical concerns, as well as fears of potential overreach, according to immigrant advocacy groups.
Leadership Purge Signals Internal Pressure
It also hasnโt come without fallout inside ICE. Two senior officials โ Kenneth Genalo and Robert Hammer โ have been removed from their posts in recent weeks. Sources say the firings reflect internal friction over how aggressively to pursue the administrationโs ambitious targets. They also serve as a warning to others who might be perceived as resistant to the push.
White House: Fulfilling the Mandate, Critics Question the Cost
The administration stands by the operation. Officials say it delivers on President Trumpโs second-term promise: to secure the border and remove criminal illegal aliens.
Still, questions remain. Legal scholars are raising red flags over the breadth of federal involvement, and local-federal cooperation is growing more strained. As the operation continues, so does the debate โ over strategy, law, and the real-world impact on communities nationwide.
A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration fromย revoking the legal statusย and work permits of the more than 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who flew into the United States during former President Joe Biden’s time in office.ย
The migrants came to the U.S. under Biden’s controversial CHNV mass humanitarian parole program.
In her order, Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote that each migrant needs to have an individualized, case-by-case review.
“The Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, 90 Fed. Reg. 13611 (Mar. 25, 2025), is hereby STAYED pending further court order insofar as it revokes, without case-by-case review, the previously granted parole and work authorization issued to noncitizens paroled into the UnitedStates pursuant to parole programs for noncitizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (the “CHNV parole programs”) prior to the noncitizenโs originally stated parole end date,” she wrote.ย
Biden created the CHNV program in 2023 via his executive parole authority. The program was launched in 2022 and initially first applied to Venezuelans before it was expanded to additional countries.
The Biden administration argued that CHNV would help reduce illegal crossings at the southern border and allow better vetting of people entering the country amid an influx of migrants.
The program was temporarily paused due to widespread fraud.
Officials with theย Department of Homeland Securityย and the Trump administration told Fox News that Talwani essentially ruled that Trump can’t use his own executive authority, the same authority Biden used, toย revoke the parole that Biden granted.ย
“It is pure lawless tyranny,” a Trump administration official told Fox News.
In March, the roughly 532,000 migrants under the CHNV program were told to leave the U.S.ย
President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
Presidentย Donald Trumpย announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”
David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
“Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”
He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back.
“Itโs a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
