From record‑low apprehensions to nationwide raids targeting criminal aliens, cartel operatives, and violent foreign gangs, 2025 marked the most dramatic border‑security turnaround in modern U.S. history. President Donald Trump’s return to office triggered a sweeping enforcement shift that reshaped federal, state, and local operations from the Rio Grande to New York City.
President Trump wasted no time in delivering on his promise to restore control at the southern border. Within hours of taking office, he signed a slate of executive orders dismantling Biden‑era policies, declaring a national emergency, designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and unleashing the military, DHS, and ICE for a full‑spectrum crackdown. What followed was a year of aggressive enforcement actions — Marines landing in California, DHS leadership hitting the streets of New York, Border Patrol apprehensions collapsing to levels unseen in half a century, and multi‑agency operations dismantling violent networks from Florida to Wisconsin. The result was a border transformed almost overnight.
DAY ONE: Trump Signs 10 Executive Orders Impacting Border Security, Immigration
These orders directed the federal government to secure the border and end the dangerous catch-and-release programs that contributed to the Biden-era border crisis. The president declared a national emergency along the southern border, designated cartels and other criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, clarified the military’s role in protecting the territory of the U.S., and realigned the U.S. refugee admissions program.
Trump Orders 1,500 Active Duty Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border
President Trump followed through on the border security executive order signed on January 21 by ordering the deployment of 1,500 active duty servicemembers to the U.S. southern border.
WATCH: Marines Land in California in Support of Trump’s Border Mission
A contingent of U.S. Marines landed in the San Diego Sector to assist Border Patrol agents. The Department of Defense ordered the Marine deployment in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order.
DHS Secretary Hits New York to Get ‘Dirtbags Off the Streets’
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem joined Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and officers on the streets of New York City. The newly sworn DHS secretary said she was in New York to get the “dirtbags off the streets.”
Border Patrol Chief: Migrant Encounters Drop 55% from Prior Week
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks reported a 55 percent drop in migrants encountered along the border during the past week. Migrant apprehensions fell from more than 10,000 during the previous week to less than 5,000 during the past seven days.
WATCH: White House to Criminal Aliens — ‘You’re Going Home’
The White House published a video on X warning criminal illegal aliens that they will be deported and sent home. The video comes on the same day that the Department of Defense began flying criminal aliens to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Trump’s Demolition of Biden’s Migrant Processing Centers Begins at Border
The demolition of Biden-era migrant processing centers along the border began this week in Texas. The Biden administration used the soft-sided facilities to expedite the entry of migrants into the U.S. after they illegally crossed the border from Mexico.
1st in Nation: Florida Arrests Tren de Aragua Gang Member Under Alien Enemies Act, Says DeSantis
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his state police teamed up with ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents to arrest a Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang member. HSI says this is the first in the nation arrest of a TdA gang member under the Alien Enemies Act, the governor said.
Trump administration officials say operational control of the U.S.-Mexico border is becoming a reality. The statement follows another month of declining apprehensions of illegal border crossers entering the U.S. from Mexico. The apprehensions fell by more than 1,1oo from February’s historic low.
Trump Orders Military to Take Control of Public Land Along U.S.-Mexico Border
President Donald Trump ordered the United States Armed Forces to repel the invasion and seal the southern border from unlawful entry. The president said the purpose of the mission is to “maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States.
Aggressive enforcement actions along the U.S.-Mexico border led to a nearly 94 percent drop in the apprehension of illegal aliens attempting to enter the United States. The apprehension of migrants by Border Patrol agents fell to approximately 263 per day during the first two months of the Trump administration from more than 4,600 per day during the same period last year.
Trump Touts Success on Border During Speech to Congress, All It Took Was a New President
President Donald Trump touted the success of his new administration’s border security and immigration policies during a Tuesday-night speech to a joint session of Congress. The president summed up the dramatic shift in migrant border encounter numbers, saying simply, “All we really needed was a new president.”
Homeland Security Warns Violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang Members, ‘Time is Up’
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent a simple message on Monday to members of the hyperviolent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, saying, “TdA’s time is up.” The message follows the arrest of hundreds of known or suspected members of the Venezuelan gang.
EXCLUSIVE: Southern Border Migrant Apprehensions Continue Record-Shattering Decline
Enforcement actions by the Trump administration continue to yield record-shattering declines in the number of migrants attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. The number of apprehensions in April fell by nearly 13 percent from the previous month and by more than 95 percent from last year. During the first week of May, agents along the entire southwest border apprehended approximately 270 per day.
5K Criminal Aliens Arrested this Year by Border Patrol
Border Patrol agents arrested more than 5,000 criminal aliens since the start of Fiscal Year 25, according to a report from Chief Michael Banks. The aliens had criminal records, including violence and sexual offenses.
400 Illegal Aliens Arrested, 500 Deported in Week-Long ICE Raids in Houston
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out a targeted enforcement operation last week that landed more than 400 illegal aliens in jail. During the same period, the Houston Field Office deported more than five hundred aliens who exhausted their due process and had been ordered removed from the United States.
WATCH: 64 Migrants Self-Deport from Texas on Project Homecoming Flight
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials announced the first charter flight of migrants choosing to self-deport by utilizing the CBP Home app. Officials said 64 migrants from Honduras and Colombia departed from Houston as part of Project Homecoming.
Officials in Massachusetts Sanctuary County Whine About ICE Operations
Officials in the sanctuary county of Plymouth, Massachusetts, complained about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting targeted enforcement operations without communicating in advance. Their complaints follow a video by a local resident who appeared to interfere with the ICE officers while videoing their activities.
EXCLUSIVE: May Migrant Apprehensions Increase Along SW Border — Almost All Returned
Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 8,500 migrants who illegally crossed the southwest border from Mexico into the United States in May, according to unofficial Border Patrol reports reviewed by Breitbart Texas. This is the second straight month of increased apprehensions. However, more than 99 percent of these were returned to Mexico or a safe third country.
Tren de Aragua Gang Members Arrested, 287 Guns, Fentanyl Seized in Texas ATF Raid
Federal and Texas law enforcement officials arrested 76 people and seized hundreds of guns and 22 kilos of drugs during a two-month operation targeting violent crime in the Fort Worth area. Included in the arrest were individuals identified as illegal aliens, including suspected Tren de Aragua gang members.
HOMAN: Migrant Arrests at Borders Drop 41 Percent in June to New Record Low — Zero Admitted to U.S.
According to numbers posted on social media by Border Czar Tom Homan, the arrest of migrants who illegally cross borders into the United States fell to just over 6,000 in June. This marks the lowest monthly total in modern Border Patrol records and a 41 percent decrease from the May report.
FBI Makes ‘Largest Takedown’ of Anti-Tren Gang Members in Texas Roundup
A joint task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials led to the arrest of 16 members of the Venezuelan “Anti-Tren” gang, a spinoff faction of the Tren de Aragua foreign terrorist organization. Officials called it the “largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI, so far.”
Immigration and Enforcement Operations (ICE) officers arrested nearly 1,400 criminal aliens in the Houston area in June. Officials told Breitbart Texas that these criminal aliens include 32 child predators, nine murderers, one illegal alien convicted of hijacking an airplane, and 16 cartel or gang members.
The Trump administration delivered on its promise to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and set new records for the lowest number of migrant encounters. The June Southwest Land Border Encounters Report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows yet another decrease in migrant encounters, including the lowest number of encounters in a single day — 128 on June 28.
Trump officials trumpeted, yet another record for the lowest number of migrants apprehended in a single day after illegally crossing the border between ports of entry. On July 20, Border Patrol agents encountered only 88 migrants — a new record low. This is down from the record of 112 set less than a month ago.
Border Patrol leaders are touting the new record-low rate of migrant arrests along the southwest border as the “most secure border in history.” In July, Border Patrol agents arrested approximately 4,600 migrants who illegally crossed the southwest border between ports of entry. Border Patrol agents released zero migrants into the U.S. for the third consecutive month.
ICE: ‘Superman’ Dean Cain to Join U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Efforts to ‘Save America’
Dean Cain, the actor who played Superman on the TV series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” claimed on Wednesday that he joined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)to “help save America.” On Thursday, ICE officials confirmed Cain will take the oath to serve as an honorary officer next month.
REPORT: Trump Signs Order to Use Military Force Against Certain Drug Cartels
A report in the New York Times states that President Donald Trump secretly signed an order authorizing the use of military force against “certain Latin American drug cartels.” These cartels were previously designated by President Trump and the U.S. Department of State as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
NOEM: 5K Criminal Aliens Removed from Sanctuary City Los Angeles by Trump’s Enforcement Actions
Federal law enforcement officers and agents made their 5,000th arrests of criminal aliens in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The law enforcement actions in the illegal alien sanctuary city led to the removal of gang members, child predators, and murderers, she said. Criminal alien 5,000 was identified as a convicted drug trafficker and aggravated felon from Mexico who had been previously deported.
On direct orders from President Donald Trump, U.S. military forces launched a precision strike on a drug-laden vessel in international waters, killing 11 Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists en route to the United States. Trump declared the operation a clear warning to traffickers that those who smuggle poison toward American shores will face swift and lethal consequences.
EXCLUSIVE: August Migrant Encounters at Southwest Border Drop 90 Percent from Prior Year
Border Patrol agents assigned to the nine southwest sectors encountered approximately 6,300 illegal aliens who crossed the border in August between ports of entry, according to unofficial reports reviewed exclusively by Breitbart Texas. This represents a 90 percent decrease in migrant apprehensions compared to August 2024.
EXCLUSIVE: ICE Director Lyons Provides Inside Look at the New War on Cartels
In a dramatic escalation of the federal government’s war on transnational drug cartels, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the seizure of a record-breaking shipment of illicit drug precursor chemicals en route from China to drug cartels in Mexico — before they could be weaponized and unleashed on American streets.
The White House announced on Monday that the United States carried out another precision military strike against a boat carrying drugs. The attack took place in international waters in the Caribbean “against violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists.”
HISTORIC: Trump Policies Yield Lowest Illegal Border Crossing Arrests in Half-Century
President Donald Trump’s border security and immigration policies led to the most secure border since 1970, according to the chief of the Border Patrol. During the just-ended FY25, Border Patrol agents arrested just over 237,000 aliens who crossed the southwest border illegally between ports of entry. For the fifth consecutive month, Border Patrol agents released zero illegal aliens into the U.S. interior.
Highways Safer as Oklahoma Troopers, ICE Arrest 91 Illegal Alien Commercial Truckers
A joint traffic enforcement blitz along I-40 in western Oklahoma led to the arrest of 120 immigration violators—91 of whom were operating commercial vehicles. The arrests underscore the public safety risks posed by unlicensed or unauthorized drivers on America’s highways. The three-day operation, conducted by ICE and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, targeted criminal activity and threats to roadway safety through intensified patrols and records checks.
Operation Chalkline: FBI SWAT Teams Storm Wisconsin in Massive Cartel/Gang Bust
Federal agents launched a high-impact gang takedown in Wisconsin this morning, arresting 22 suspects and seizing a cache of drugs, guns, and vehicles in a coordinated strike dubbed “Operation Chalkline.” Backed by 14 SWAT teams and dozens of law enforcement partners, the FBI Milwaukee-led operation targeted violent criminal networks operating in Milwaukee and Racine, Wisconsin.
The Trump administration’s border crackdown is delivering results: October 2025 marked the lowest number of illegal border crossings in CBP history, and it was the sixth straight month of zero releases by U.S. Border Patrol. With just 30,561 encounters nationwide—down 79% from October 2024—DHS officials credit President Trump’s leadership and a no-excuses enforcement strategy for restoring control and deterring illegal entry at a scale unseen in modern times.
WHITE HOUSE: Operation Dirtbag Secures Arrest of 150 Illegal Alien Sex Predators in Florida
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on social media that “Operation Dirt Bag” yielded the arrest of more than 150 illegal alien sexual predators in Florida. Earlier, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Noem said, “As a mother and grandmother, I’m horrified that these dirtbags were able to even step foot in America.”
First‑Ever Antifa Terrorism Convictions: Five Plead Guilty in Texas ICE Facility Ambush
In a landmark case, five members of a North Texas Antifa cell have become the first defendants in America to be convicted on terrorism charges, pleading guilty to “providing material support to terrorists” after a violent July 4 ambush on the ICE Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas.
WORST OF THE WORST: ICE Arrests 3,500+ Criminal Aliens in Houston During Democrat-Led Government Shutdown
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this week that nearly 3,600 criminal illegal aliens were arrested in Houston during the six-week Democrat-led government shutdown. Department of Homeland Security officials said the arrests targeted the “worst of the worst,” including convicted pedophiles, MS-13 gang members, kidnappers, and repeat offenders previously deported multiple times.
Trump to End All Migration from Third World Countries, Reverse Biden’s Autopen Admissions
President Donald Trump has unveiled plans to permanently halt migration from Third World nations and roll back millions of Biden‑era admissions — including those he blasted as illegally authorized through ‘Sleepy Joe’s Autopen.’
HEGSETH: ‘We’ve Only Just Begun to Kill Narco-Terrorists’ — Proclaims Cartel War Entered New Phase
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared that the United States has “only just begun to kill narco-terrorists,” a blunt call to escalate direct action against cartel operatives. Hegseth reinforced the message in a separate post, vowing that the campaign against transnational drug cartels has entered a new phase.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks announced this week that illegal aliens age 14 and older who entered the country without inspection will be assessed a $5,000 apprehension fee. The warning came as CBP Air and Marine Operations cautioned would‑be migrants against attempting illegal sea crossings, and the Department of Homeland Security declared that President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem have delivered seven straight months with zero Border Patrol releases — the longest stretch in history.
DHS officials announced the milestone of 10,000 criminal aliens being arrested in the sanctuary city of Los Angeles. These include many violent criminal aliens, including a woman who had 14 previous convictions. Others arrested include illegal aliens with charges or convictions for murder, drug dealing, sexual offenses, and other criminal offenses.
U.S. Southern Border: Christmas This Year vs. Last
Last Christmas, the U.S. southern border was the epicenter of a national crisis. One year later, it is the centerpiece of a political victory lap, as the Trump administration touts record‑low crossings, aggressive enforcement, and what officials call “the most secure border in American history.”
President Donald Trump’s border crackdown delivered historic results in 2025, driving illegal crossings to levels unseen in decades. December ended with only 6,400 southwest apprehensions — and the full‑year total of 109,000 marks a dramatic reversal from the chaos inherited from former-President Joe Biden’s border crisis.
By the end of 2025, the numbers told the story: historic lows in illegal crossings, zero Border Patrol releases for months on end, and a relentless tempo of operations targeting smugglers, gang members, cartel operatives, and criminal aliens across the country. From high‑seas interdictions to nationwide ICE sweeps, the administration’s “whole‑of‑government” strategy delivered the most secure border in modern history. As 2026 begins, officials say the mission is far from over — but the year’s results have already rewritten the trajectory of U.S. border enforcement.
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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