The number of illegal immigrant encounters in the southwest has plummeted since January of last year, KNSD-TV reported. This suggests that President Donald Trump's promised crackdown is working as it should.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol released figures last month showing there were 61,000 encounters during January of this year. This represents a decrease of 36% from December and a whopping 65% from January of 2023.
However, the numbers don't tell the whole story. Trump took office on Jan. 21, 2025, which represents a little more than a week of the month, but immediately increased deportations and deployed military personnel to the Southern border.
Trump's strategy is helping to catch those who are coming into the nation illegally while deterring others who might otherwise try it with. Shockingly, it's already working even better than anyone could have hoped.
The most recent raw numbers are starting to complete the picture of a desolate border no longer inundated with newcomers as it was under Trump's predecessor, then-President Joe Biden. Border Czar Thomas D. Homan shared Tuesday's numbers that reflected a winning strategy.
"In the last 24 hours, the US 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 posted to X, formerly Twitter.
"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," Homan added.
In the last 24 hours the US 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. I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984 and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low.…
— Thomas D. Homan (@RealTomHoman) February 17, 2025
Trump's success has predictably caused the Democrats to lash out at him. According to The Hill, Trump's immigration and deportation raids in places like Chicago have sparked outraged.
"These unwarranted raids have not only targeted hardworking individuals but, alarmingly, have also wrongfully targeted U.S. citizens and veterans. Such actions sow fear, disrupt families, destabilize local economies, and undermine public trust," Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Congressional Hispanic Caucus leader, claimed.
Meanwhile, so-called sanctuary cities continue to stand firm. As Fox News reported, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Michael Cox, her Democrat-appointed Police Commissioner, are insisting that they "don't enforce" federal immigration laws.
"We don’t enforce civil detainers regarding federal immigration law," Cox said of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's edicts. "It's defined here in the state, and that’s just how it works," he added.
Trump's policies are performing as promised even as Democrats are actively trying to thwart what he's doing. However, the numbers don't lie, and the American people can see it.