U.S. Border Patrol encounters along the Mexican frontier have dramatically decreased in the first two months of President Donald J. Trump’s second term in office. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, revealed the drop in illegal crossings in a post on social media. In the 24 hours before February 17, agents reported encountering just 229 individuals across the southwest border, a significant drop from the over 11,000 daily encounters counted under the Biden government.

“In the last 24 hours the U.S. Border Patrol has encountered a total of 229 aliens across the entire southwest border. That is down from a high of over 11,000 a day under Biden,” Homan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding: “I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984 and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low. President Trump promised a secure border and he is delivering.”

Shortly after taking office on January 20, 2025, President Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and securing the U.S.-Mexico border. Additionally, Trump has placed mounting pressure on the Mexican and Canadian governments to commit more resources to preventing illegal crossings into the United States and to curb the flow of illicit drugs.

The low encounter figures coincide with ongoing actions by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies to apprehend illegal immigrants nationwide. These operations have targeted individuals involved in transnational gangs, suspected terrorism, and those with criminal convictions. Last week, Texas authorities arrested a Venezuelan national linked to the Tren de Aragua prison gang, who had a prior conviction for attempting to smuggle firearms from the U.S.

Craig Larrabee, ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge, stated that this arrest underscores law enforcement’s diligence in addressing criminal activities and ensuring community safety.

Image by Gage Skidmore.