Staff Reports
In the dizzying world of political theater, the spectacle of a Democratic debate in June 2019 was a masterclass in open-border fanaticism. On stage, the party’s leading lights raised their hands in a bid to show just how welcoming they could be to illegal immigrants, revealing their belief that crossing into the U.S. without permission was a civil offense, not a crime. And as if that wasn’t absurd enough, they also voiced their eager support for granting health insurance to those entering the country illegally. This enthusiasm set the stage for what was to come, with then-candidate Joe Biden suggesting the U.S. had the capacity to “absorb” an additional 2 million illegal migrants, essentially rolling out the proverbial red carpet. Unsurprisingly, there was a surge in takers, which culminated in a border crisis that saw over 11,000 illegal crossings in just one day by December 2023.
Fast forward to the current landscape under President Trump, and those numbers tell a different story. The once-chaotic border is now showing signs of a major turnaround, with illegal crossings dipping to an astonishing low. According to reports, Border Patrol recorded a meager 582 illegal crossings just recently, a staggering contrast to the chaos of the prior administration. Not a single sector of the southern border even approached the 200 mark, which leads one to wonder if these Democrats even understand basic math. Bill Melugin of Fox News humorously lamented that he had “never seen anything this low” during his extensive coverage of the border situation.
🚨Border Czar Tom Homan announces first border numbers under the Trump administration:
-766 SW border encounters over 24 hours.
-ZERO CBP One releases of illegal aliens.
-ZERO illegal aliens released through the CHNV parole program. pic.twitter.com/roTTvRCnto
— Federation for American Immigration Reform (@FAIRImmigration) January 22, 2025
To wrap this phenomenon in a nice bow, it’s interesting to note how dramatically the situation has changed. In Biden’s final week in office, the numbers hovered between 1,200 to 1,400 crossings daily. After Trump stepped in, the statistics plummeted, like a lead balloon with a huge ‘Democratic Policy Fail’ attached to it. The numbers provide a revealing glimpse into just how effective enforcement can be, as evidenced by the recent counts of 665, 731, and then that eye-popping 582.
When examining the Del Rio sector specifically, the statistics become even more ludicrous. Once burdened by a staggering 4,000 illegal crossings per day, the area recorded a paltry 60 yesterday, making one wonder if the Democrats’ open-border fervor accidentally sent everyone running for the hills. With Trump swiftly terminating the programs that facilitated mass releases of migrants at ports of entry, the situation has rapidly transformed, creating a stark contrast that should make any rational observer question the previous administration’s approach.
As the Trump administration charts a new course aimed at halting illegal immigration, the hope is that these impressively low numbers will hold up. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring and what that brings for border crossings—hopefully, more of the same or even lower. With recent reports confirming that the daily chaos has been dramatically curtailed, it begs the question: Was it really that easy to stop illegal immigration? It seems so, and perhaps it’s a lesson Democrats should take to heart.
