Major Drop In Daily Encounters With Illegal Immigrants, Border Czar Says

Authored by Rachel Acenas via The Epoch Times,

Daily encounters at the southern border have significantly plummeted, according to President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan.

“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 said in a statement on X. 

“I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984 and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low.”

Homan said that Trump pledged a secure border, and he is delivering on that promise.

Trump during the 2024 presidential election vowed to launch mass deportations in his second White House term and signed an executive order on illegal immigration on his first day in office.

The president chose Homan to oversee his illegal immigration crackdown, including nationwide deportations and the suspension of illegal entries into the United States.

Homan’s latest update on daily border encounters comes as U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies continue to arrest thousands of illegal immigrants across the country, including transnational gang members, terrorists, and convicted criminals.

Just last week in Texas, a Venezuelan national who is also a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua prison gang was arrested. Federal agents later discovered that he was previously convicted and sentenced for attempting to smuggle firearms out of the United States.

“The arrest of a suspected TdA gang member, previously convicted of firearms smuggling, marks a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to enhance public safety,” ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee said in a statement.

“This apprehension is a testament to the diligent work of our law enforcement agencies in rooting out criminal activity and safeguarding our communities.”

Meanwhile, Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have pushed back on Trump’s immigration policies. Ocasio-Cortez’s office recently hosted a “Know Your Rights with ICE” webinar.

Homan suggested that Ocasio-Cortez may have broken the law by advising her followers on how to evade the law.

Tom Homan on AOC: “She’s the dumbest congresswoman ever elected to Congress and she proves that every day.” pic.twitter.com/gknT2ihOpq

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 18, 2025