The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this Friday that it has achieved 12 consecutive months without any person who crossed the border illegally being released in the United States.
" Twelve consecutive months of ZERO releases at the border. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, we are delivering the safest border in the history of the United States," said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a press release issued this morning.
The head of the U.S. Border Patrol, Rodney Scott, complemented Mullin's statement and also celebrated the news. "The Border Patrol did not release any illegal foreign nationals in our country again this month, unlike April 2024, when over 68,000 were released under President Biden. Every minute of every day, President Trump's border security policies are making all Americans safer," he stated.
Trump announced a consecutive year without releasing illegal immigrants detained at the border.
A marked contrast
Trump's administration policies have managed to reduce illegal crossings at the border by 95% compared to the previous administration. It has been a total of 15 consecutive months in which fewer than 9,000 people were apprehended attempting to enter U.S. territory illegally.
The official report highlights that the 9,000 arrests recorded in April of this year equate to just three days of border crossings in the last year of Joe Biden's administration. During the peak of Biden's border crisis in December 2023, 336 immigrants per hour were apprehended and then released on U.S. soil.
The strict enforcement of law at the border by the Trump administration has also prevented drugs from being trafficked across the border. "Nationwide in April, seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana increased by 60% compared to April 2024," reported the DHS.
"In April 2026, heroin seizures increased by 73% compared to March 2026, and methamphetamine seizures increased by 63%. The Border Patrol seized 463 pounds of fentanyl in April," detailed the department.
Trump announced a consecutive year without releasing detained illegal immigrants at the border.
