The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that April marked twelve consecutive months of zero releases of illegal aliens apprehended by Border Patrol at the southwest border with Mexico into the United States — a milestone officials say reflects the most secure border in American history under President Donald Trump. DHS reports a 94 percent drop in illegal border apprehensions compared to the Biden era, with daily crossings now lower than what agents encountered in a single hour at the height of the 2023 crisis.
Twelve straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “The days of catch and release are over. We are enforcing the nation’s laws and sending illegal aliens back to their home countries.”
Two years ago, Border Patrol agents, under orders from President Joe Biden and then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, released more than 68,000 illegal aliens who were apprehended at the border into the U.S. interior, according to CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott.
“What a difference, America!” Scott said in a written statement on Friday.
DHS officials provided Breitbart Texas with the following statistics regarding border security and illegal immigration for the past 12 months:
- Southwest border apprehensions were 94% lower than under Biden
- The U.S. Border Patrol’s apprehensions along the southwest border in April (8,943) were 94% lower than the monthly average of the Biden administration and 96% below the peak of the Biden administration (December 2023). They were also less than what was apprehended in 3 days in April 2024.
- Border crossings this entire fiscal year to date were lower than the monthly average the last 30 years
- Total U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border during all of this fiscal year through April were 37% lower than just one month on average from FYs 1992 through 2024.
- Daily average apprehensions in April were 94% lower than under Biden
- The U.S. Border Patrol’s average number of apprehensions per day along the southwest border in April (298) were 94% lower than the daily average under the Biden administration.
- The number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions per day in April was less than a single hour during the height of the Biden administration (336 per hour in December 2023) and less than the number apprehended every 2 hours on average under the Biden administration.
- CBP’s total encounters this fiscal year to date are lower than April 2024 alone
- This fiscal year’s encounters (215,876) are 13% lower than in the month of April 2024 alone
In May 2024, Breitbart Texas reported that 129,000 migrants were apprehended along the southwest border with Mexico the month before. That brought the year-to-date number of total apprehensions for FY24 to 1.2 million illegal aliens. So far in Fiscal Year 26, which began on October 1, 2025, the year-to-date total stands at 54,789 (down 95 percent), according to CBP reports obtained by Breitbart.
DHS also reports significant increases in the seizure of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana, as CBP officers and agents moved from babysitting illegal aliens who overwhelmed detention centers to securing the border.
“CBP has seized 61% more drugs this fiscal year through April than it seized during the same period of FY 2024, and CBP seized 53% more drugs this fiscal year than it seized on average during the last four years in this same period,” DHS reported.
DHS officials say the dramatic collapse in illegal crossings — paired with a surge in drug seizures as agents return to frontline enforcement — underscores the scale of the turnaround since the Biden‑Mayorkas years, when more than 68,000 migrants were released into the U.S. interior in a single month. “Every minute of every day, President Trump’s border security policies are making every American safer,” Commissioner Scott said. With year‑to‑date apprehensions down 95 percent and drug interdictions surging, DHS argues the numbers speak for themselves: the era of catch‑and‑release is over.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
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