Trump administration touts ‘most secure border in history’ as 2.5 million migrants exit US
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Friday that more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the United States since President Donald Trump returned to office this year, citing a sweeping immigration crackdown it says has led to the "most secure border in American history."
In a year-end report highlighting the agency's accomplishments, DHS claimed that illegal border crossings plunged 93% year-over-year, fentanyl trafficking was cut in half and hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants were either arrested or deported, amounting to a dramatic shift from the Biden administration.
"In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history, and this administration is just getting started," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
"Under President Trump’s leadership, we are making America safe again and putting the American people first. In record time we have secured the border, taken the fight to cartels and arrested thousands upon thousands of criminal illegal aliens."
While Trump's first year back in office was "historic," the administration "won’t rest until the job is done," Noem added.
Of the 2.5 million illegal immigrants who left the country since Trump took office Jan. 20, an estimated 1.9 million self-deported and more than 622,000 were forced out, according to DHS.
The Trump administration has encouraged anyone living in the United States illegally to return to their native countries using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home Mobile App, which allows users to claim a complimentary plane ticket home and a $1,000 exit bonus upon their return.
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CBP seized nearly 540,000 pounds of drugs this year, almost a 10% increase compared to the same time frame in 2024, DHS said, adding that the U.S. Coast Guard has retrieved roughly 470,000 pounds of cocaine, enough to kill 177 million people.
Taxpayers have saved more than $13 billion at DHS, the agency said, noting that several agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Secret Service have returned "to their core missions."
Secretary Noem awarded $10,000 bonuses earlier this year to TSA officers and personnel who displayed exemplary service, overcame hardships and displayed the utmost patriotism during the 43-day government shutdown.
DHS touted the administration's achievements, asserting that "countless lives have been saved" this year, and "the American people have been put first again."