Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border reached unprecedented lows in April 2025, continuing trends attributed to Trump-era policies.
Key Takeaways
- Fewer than 10,000 illegal crossings occurred in April 2025, marking a 93% decrease from the previous year.
- Policies like deploying additional troops and abolishing “catch and release” are credited for this decline.
- ICE apprehended over 66,000 illegal immigrants during Trump’s first 100 days.
- The reduction in border crossings hasn’t been seen in the last 25 years.
- Claims of a 95% drop are debated, with the actual decrease closer to 60%.
Steep Decline in Border Crossings
Illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border saw a significant decline in April, with apprehensions dropping below 10,000. This 93% decrease from the previous year is attributed to the policies enacted during Trump’s tenure. Foremost among these were the deployment of additional troops to the border and the abolishment of the “catch and release” policy. Manny Bayon of the National Border Patrol Council highlighted this drop as unprecedented in his 25-year career.
In Trump’s first 100 days, ICE reported over 66,000 arrests and deportations exceeding 65,000. Such vigorous enforcement reflected his administration’s commitment to curbing illegal immigration. The peak daily encounters during this time were lower than the daily averages seen during Biden’s administration.
Discrepancies in the Numbers
Even with the impressive drop in illegal immigration, some critics have tried to cast doubt on the numbers. The Trump White House highlighted a 95% decrease—a bold claim that grabbed attention. While others argue the data comparisons were imperfect, fact-checkers still confirmed a real drop of around 60%. No matter how they spin it, the results show Trump’s tough border policies worked—and that’s exactly why the left wants to downplay them.
The White House’s numbers included encounters at legal ports of entry—many of them asylum seekers who surged under Biden’s open-border approach, inflating the stats. And then there are the “gotaways”—illegal immigrants who slip past border agents entirely. These figures deserve serious scrutiny, since mixing different timelines and data sets can easily be used to twist the truth and push political agendas.
— E.A. Noll (@eanoll1947) April 20, 2025
Impact of Border Policies
President Trump’s strategies significantly impacted illegal border crossings through measures like troop deployment and ICE-led deportations. The perceived success led to consecutive months of record-low crossings in February and March, strengthening the case for severe border restrictions.
Trump’s initiation of a border emergency declaration and efforts in rethinking migration strategies received significant acknowledgment. With fewer than 450 illegal encounters occurring on the highest single day in April, the strategies underlined a shift in border policy efficacy, though thorough assessments remain crucial in such reporting instances.
