Illegal border crossings reach their lowest level in decades
Image: Taylor Johnston/CBS News/US CBP
The number of migrants illegally crossing the US-Mexico border plummeted in President Trumpâs first full month in office, per multiple reports citing preliminary government data.
By the numbers: Border Patrol apprehended around 8,300-8,450 migrants who crossed the southern border unlawfully in February, per data obtained by Axios and CBS News along with a post from Trump.
- Thatâs down from ~29,100 apprehensions the previous month, and ~140,600 in February 2024.
- It also marks the lowest number of unauthorized crossings since at least October 1999, the earliest month with publicly accessible data.
The decline has two main factors
Analysts say the data can be attributed to both Trump's sweeping changes in immigration policy and rhetoric, along with trends that began months before his second term.
After spiking at the end of 2023, illegal border crossings fell in 2024 following new Biden admin restrictions and Mexico ramping up enforcement. Trump has escalated some of these restrictions, with recent moves including empowering US officials to deport migrants without hearing asylum claims, and deploying active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border.
Will the data affect US tariffs? Short answer: itâs currently unclear. Stopping illegal immigration is one of the main rationales behind Trumpâs tariffs on US border nations Canada and Mexico. But while both countries received a temporary tariff reprieve after enhancing border security last month, analysts are uncertain whether this new US-Mexico border data will influence negotiations.
Zoom out: The Trump adminâs southern border strategy has yielded quick results, but its efforts within America are still ramping up. Trump has pledged to deport all ~14 million immigrants living in the country illegally during his second term, and signed several executive orders to that effect.
- Over Trumpâs first three weeks in office, ICE has arrested ~14,000 unauthorized migrants in the US (pacing at ~250,000/year) â twice last yearâs average, but still shy of Trumpâs goal (~3.5 million/year).
đ Flash poll: Do you personally consider unauthorized immigration to be: a crisis, fairly significant problem, minor problem, or not a problem for the US?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying â
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that Trumpâs immigration moves signal that America has transitioned from its roots as a nation of immigrants who accepts âyour tired, your poorâ to instead only welcoming rich migrants and shunning everyone else.
- Others contend that Democrats lost their way on immigration from the mid-2010s to present, as part of a broader shift to the left to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members â but thereâs no evidence their near-open-borders policies are what Americans want.
- âTrumpâs immigration policy: âGive me your oligarchs, your richâŚââ âJames D. Zirin, The Hill
- âHow Democrats Lost Their Way on Immigrationâ âIsaac Chotiner, The New Yorker
- âFeds should crack down on employers, not workers, to stop illegal immigrationâ âGeorge L. Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that the Trump deterrent effect on new migrants entering the country is profound â despite the fact Trump has mostly maintained Bidenâs latest border policies, people know immigration enforcement is dialed up considerably, so fewer people are attempting to come.
- Others contend that the Trump administration is rightly disrupting the business model NGOs created during the Biden years, whereby they simultaneously facilitated and profited from resettling illegal aliens across the country; they also argue laws are needed to prevent such efforts in the future.
- âSanctuary City Mayors Get Grilled, as Border Crossings Plummetâ âPaul Gigot, Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn, and Kyle Peterson, Wall Street Journal
- âNGOs made illegal immigration a business model. We need to end that permanentlyâ âRep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Dan Stein, Washington Times
- âTrumpâs speech justifiably boasted about one big, inarguable successâ âJim Geraghty, National Review
Share this!
Recent Discussion stories
Discussion
  | March 7, 2025Holy shift: America is undergoing religious change
đşđ¸đ A growing number of US adults are moving away from organized religion while simultaneously embracing spirituality, according to new Pew Research Center findings.
Discussion
  | March 5, 2025The Trump adminâs agenda is facing legal pushback
đď¸âď¸ The Trump administration has issued 75+ executive orders and made other moves to overhaul the federal government over the past month and a half. These changes have prompted 100+ lawsuits seeking to limit the Trump adminâs actions, which are currently working their way through US courts.
Discussion
  | March 3, 2025Israel and Hamas are at odds over extending their ceasefire
đĽ The Israel-Hamas ceasefire is facing an uncertain future, after Phase 1 of the deal expired on Saturday without signs of progress towards the second phase.
You've made it this far...
Let's make our relationship official, no đ or elaborate proposal required. Learn and stay entertained, for free.đ
All of our news is 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime; the quiz takes ~10 seconds to complete