Under the Trump administration, illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border decreased sharply in fiscal year 2025 to a level not seen since 1970, a new report finds. The numbers are attributed to stricter immigration policies and increased enforcement efforts, drawing both praise and legal challenges.
The information is based on internal federal data obtained by CBS News and confirmed by the White House on Tuesday.
From Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, Border Patrol agents apprehended around 238,000 individuals who had illegally crossed the U.S. southern border. According to the report by CBS News, that’s the lowest number since 1970, when about 202,000 were recorded. The majority, approximately 60% of illegal crossings in fiscal year 2025, happened before the second Trump administration began.
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An apprehension happens when a migrant is caught crossing the border illegally and not at official checkpoints along the border. It also discounts “got aways,” a term for a known crossing of the border that law enforcement agencies weren’t able to apprehend.
Under the administration of former President Joe Biden, Border Patrol agents made around 2.2 million apprehensions in fiscal year 2022, the highest number ever recorded and almost 10 times the levels recorded in 2025.
According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, there were 432,059 encounters at the U.S. southern border during fiscal year 2025. However, this figure does not include September 2025, as the data for that month has not yet been released.
This represents a substantial decrease compared to fiscal year 2024, which recorded 2,135,005 encounters at the southern border.
Shift in enforcement and policy under second Trump term
Since Trump took office for a second term, the U.S. government has significantly changed how it’s handled people who have entered the country without authorization. In the past, some migrants who were caught crossing the border illegally were released into the U.S. while they waited for their immigration court hearings. This was often referred to as “catch and release.”
In 2020, Trump enacted “Title 42,” which allowed for border authorities to bypass asylum screenings and turn away migrants due to concerns over COVID-19 spread.
Many migrants were being sent back to their home countries more quickly or detained while their cases were being decided. Biden lifted the order authorizing Title 42 in May 2023, one month after the former president signed a bill ending the national emergency for COVID-19.
Legal challenges and public backlash grow
The strict border policies of the Trump administration’s second term have faced serious criticism and legal challenges.
Critics, including civil rights groups, say the policies are cruel, severe and against the law. The ACLU has strongly opposed the Trump administration’s immigration policies, calling them cruel and unlawful. They have taken the issue to court, claiming the policies break both U.S. and international laws protecting asylum seekers.
Additionally, in large U.S. cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, immigration raids have caused public protests and political criticism. Critics say the Trump administration has been too harsh and targeted too many non-violent immigrants, not just criminals. The Supreme Court recently ruled in the administration’s favor in a case alleging immigration agents were using racial profiling in their enforcement actions.
Trump has sent National Guard troops to Chicago, and they arrived in the Windy City on Tuesday. The president has also attempted to send them to Portland, Oregon, to protect immigration agents and buildings during unrest. However, a judge has temporarily blocked the deployment to Portland.
