Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem completed her first trip to the southwest border as the leader of the department on Sunday. Noem visited the Del Rio, Texas Port of Entry where she sat for a news interview before joining the Border Patrol agents for a border tour on horseback through an area that once say more than 30,000 mostly Haitian migrants camped out under the same Port of Entry in 2021.
Secretary Noem joined members of the Del Rio Sector’s Horse Patrol Unit on a ride along the Texas-Mexico border. Slamming her predecessor, Noem said, “Former Sec Mayorkas rode OVER the Border Patrol and didn’t let them do their jobs. Today, I rode with our agents.”
Noem’s social media statements made the message clear to the Border Patrol agents: “Under President @realdonaldtrump, the days of open borders are over.” In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, Noem spoke on horseback with the agents, referring to them as “great Americans” and saying she was there to find out what they needed to do the job.
Noem’s visit concluded with an aerial tour of the nearby Eagle Pass before departing the notorious Border Patrol Sector later in the afternoon. As Breitbart Texas reported, the sector, once known as the busiest border region for migrant crossings, has seen apprehensions plummet since President Trump’s inauguration.
Migrant apprehensions dropped by nearly 40% in the first full week of the Trump presidency within the Del Rio Sector. A significant drop has also been noted across other parts of the southwest border as the president’s promised enhanced immigration operations begin to take shape.
According to the Border Patrol, the number of suspected get-aways in the Del Rio Sector also plummeted, dropping by more than 60 percent, from 229 to 82, during the post-inauguration week. According to Chief Michael Banks, migrant apprehensions border-wide dropped 55 percent during the first week of the new administration compared to the previous week.
The visit to Del Rio and Eagle Pass is not the first for newly confirmed DHS Secretary and former South Dakota Governor Noem. As reported by Breitbart Texas, Noem has dispatched resources, including South Dakota Army National Guard soldiers, to assist Texas Governor Greg Abbott with his efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico border.
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 X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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