admin
The Department of Homeland Security just announced a milestone that should make every American pay attention: twelve straight months of zero releases of illegal aliens caught by Border Patrol at the southwest border. That is not spin. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott are calling it proof the border is finally secure under President Donald Trump’s leadership. If you believe government officials only when the news helps them, well, that moment just arrived.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s be blunt: the math here is dramatic. DHS reports southwest border apprehensions are about 94% lower than they were under the Biden administration. In April, Border Patrol logged 8,943 apprehensions — an average of 298 per day — and that is lower than what agents handled in a single hour at the worst of the 2023 crisis (336 per hour in December 2023). Fiscal-year-to-date totals are down sharply as well. Bottom line: crossings have collapsed, and the data shows a real turnaround in illegal immigration at the southwest border.
Border Patrol Back on Mission
From babysitters to enforcers
One clear effect of ending catch-and-release is that agents can get back to serious law enforcement. DHS reports big jumps in drug seizures — including cocaine, meth, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana — with seizures up roughly 61% versus the same period last year and 53% above the recent four-year average. When agents aren’t filling motel rooms and paperwork for released migrants, they’re stopping deadly drugs from flowing into our neighborhoods. That is not just numbers; that’s lives and safety.
What This Means Politically
This week’s announcement makes a basic point any schoolkid could understand: enforcing the law works. President Donald Trump promised to stop catch-and-release and secure the border. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Commissioner Rodney Scott say the policy change did exactly that. Contrast that with the Biden-Mayorkas years, when tens of thousands were being released into the country in a single month. Voters who want safer streets and orderly immigration should take note — policy matters, and enforcement delivers results.
We should savor this moment but not get cocky. Keeping the border secure will take continued funding, clear rules, and political will. If lawmakers and the public let up now, the problem will come back faster than liberals can find a new talking point. For now, we should give credit where credit’s due: the era of catch-and-release is over, and America is safer for it. That’s real border security — not slogans, not excuses, but results you can count.
