Migrant Encounters at Southern Border Plummet Under New Administration

EXCLUSIVE: Recent data acquired by Fox News Digital reveals a staggering reduction in the number of migrants arriving at the southern border since President Donald Trump took office the previous week, seeing a drop of over 60%.

Significant Decline in Border Encounters

In the first full week following Trump’s inauguration—January 20-26—there were 7,287 documented migrant encounters. These figures come from both Border Patrol operations conducted between ports of entry and from the Office of Field Operations (OFO) at official ports of entry. This data averages to a daily encounter rate of approximately 1,041 individuals.

This is a marked contrast to the final seven days of the Biden administration (January 13-19), which recorded 20,086 encounters, averaging 2,869 encounters each day. The new statistics reflect an impressive drop of more than 63% in the number of migrant encounters at the southern border.

Trump’s Immediate Actions

Immediately upon taking office, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and mandated the expulsion of migrants without the option for asylum. His administration swiftly dismantled several policies instituted during the Biden era, including terminating the use of the CBP One app. This app allowed migrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry in order to gain entry into the United States through humanitarian parole.

Impact on Illegal Crossings

The immediate effects of these executive decisions are reflected in the latest crossing statistics. On a recent Sunday, fewer than 600 individuals were reported to enter the U.S. illegally, a drastic decline, with no single sector registering more than 200 illegal crossings. The Del Rio sector, which previously experienced peaks exceeding 4,000 daily crossings during December 2023, saw only 60 crossings during this same period.

A Multi-Faceted Approach

To further strengthen the border security measures, Trump has deployed military personnel to the border and resumed construction on the border wall, alongside shutting down additional parole programs that previously allowed specific migrant groups—namely Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans—to enter the country more easily.

Mass Deportation Programs Initiated

Separately, the Trump administration has rolled out a mass deportation initiative, which has quickly led to daily apprehensions surpassing 1,000 as enforcement operations take place in so-called sanctuary cities such as Boston and New York City. These stringent actions indicate a robust commitment to curtailing illegal immigration.

Raids and Targeted Operations

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem oversaw one of the significant raids executed in New York City, asserting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully arrested “dirtbags” that included an illegal immigrant with a record of serious crimes such as kidnapping, assault, and burglary.

Conclusion

The drastic changes in immigration policy and border enforcement efforts under President Trump’s administration are already yielding observable results in the sharp decline of migrant encounters at the southern border. As new policies take form, the effects on both legal and illegal immigration will continue to evolve.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

Further Coverage

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