The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday a historic report revealing the lowest number of migrant arrests along the southwest border in agency history. Border Patrol agents apprehended fewer than 99,000 migrants who illegally crossed the border between ports of entry during the just-ended Fiscal Year 2026. This represents a 95 percent drop from the average of 1.8 million migrants per year during the Biden Border Crisis.
“President Trump promised the American people a secure border, and the data proves he delivered. Over the past year, CBP recorded its lowest numbers in American history. A stark contrast to Biden, where CBP recorded its highest illegal immigration numbers ever,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “The results could not be clearer: strong enforcement works. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the hard work of CBP and DHS law enforcement personnel, we have restored control of the border and made America safer than ever.”
On day one of President Donald Trump’s second term, he signed a series of ten executive orders aimed at securing the U.S.-Mexico border and taking on the Mexican cartels, Breitbart Texas reported. His orders established a national state of emergency and provided additional resources for a whole-of-government approach to border security, illegal immigration, and drug trafficking enforcement activities.
Since then, border apprehensions fell from a peak of 249,740 in December 2023 to about 8,900 at the close of FY26 on September 30. This represents a fall from the peak of just over 96 percent.
“FY 2026 demonstrated what focused enforcement, strong partnerships, and the commitment of our frontline personnel can achieve,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. “DHS and CBP are securing the border, stopping dangerous drugs and criminals, protecting communities, and ensuring our personnel have the resources necessary for this critical mission.”
The DHS report confirms the unofficial number of apprehensions along the southwest border in September that Breitbart Texas reported earlier this week. The September apprehensions brought the FY26 total to just under 99,000 migrants who crossed between ports of entry. DHS officials called this the “lowest level in agency history.”
The Border Patrol, which completed its first-ever fiscal year with no releases, recorded less than 99,000 southwest border apprehensions in FY 2026—a 95% decline compared with more than 1.8 million per year under President Biden. Total FY 2026 apprehensions (98,708) were 60% lower than the Biden Administration’s single highest month alone (249,740).
Additionally, preliminary data shows total nationwide encounters in FY 2026 were the lowest in agency history at 379,243, compared with 2.7 million per year under Biden (seven times higher). FY 2026 encounters were 88% lower than FY 2023 under Biden, which was the highest fiscal year ever.
In addition to the historically low numbers of migrant apprehensions, DHS officials stated that during the past 17 months, zero migrants were released by Border Patrol into the U.S. interior.
The close of Fiscal Year 2026 marks an unprecedented turning point in American border defense, proving that rigorous enforcement and zero-tolerance deterrence can systematically restore operational control to the southwest border. By pairing the complete elimination of “catch and release” policies with aggressive multi-agency enforcement, the Trump administration has effectively shattered the business model of transnational criminal networks that grew wealthy exploiting open-border vulnerabilities.
As official federal data confirms a staggering 95 percent decline in illegal crossings and 17 straight months of zero interior releases, the historical record demonstrates that strict adherence to the rule of law produces the most secure southern border in American history.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before 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.
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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