Illegal immigrant apprehensions along the U.S. southern border have significantly decreased since Donald Trump's return to the presidency, reaching levels not seen since his previous term. According to newly released Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shared with ABC News, only 29,116 illegal immigrants were apprehended at the southern border in January. This represents a substantial drop from December's 47,000 apprehensions and marks the lowest monthly figure since May 2020, when 32,349 apprehensions were recorded.
The overall number of southern border apprehensions in January, including those at ports of entry, totaled 61,465, a 36% decrease from the previous month. Furthermore, apprehensions plummeted by a striking 85% between January 21st and 31st compared to the same period in 2024, shortly after Trump reassumed office.
This downward trend aligns with other recent reports indicating a decline in attempted border crossings during Trump's current administration. For instance, a recent Fox News report highlighted a significant drop in the daily average of "gotaways" – individuals who illegally enter the U.S. without being apprehended – to a mere 132 per day since early February. This constitutes a remarkable 93% reduction from the peak numbers observed under former President Joe Biden's tenure.
This positive shift in border security became evident almost immediately after Trump's inauguration, with Border Patrol encounters decreasing by 35% during his first three days in office compared to Biden's final three days. The White House attributes this success to Trump's policies, which prioritize the swift apprehension and deportation of illegal immigrants, contrasting sharply with the previous administration's approach.
The White House press release criticizes the Biden administration's border policies, which allegedly resulted in an average of 141,710 illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border each January. These policies, the release argues, allowed illegal immigrants to remain in U.S. communities indefinitely. In contrast, the White House credits Trump's policies with driving illegal border crossings to record lows.
