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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday that for the past 10 months, Border Patrol agents have not released any migrants into the U.S. interior. This achievement, officials noted, reflects a period of historically low illegal border crossings.
According to a DHS press release, figures from February reveal that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has maintained a zero-release record for migrants at the border over the past 10 months. The agency attributes this steady decline to a strong “enforcement-first” strategy.
Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem commented on the milestone, stating, “For ten consecutive months, no illegal immigrants were released at the border. President Donald Trump pledged to secure our borders, and we have fulfilled that commitment.”
Noem further emphasized, “We now have the most secure border in American history. Our borders are firmly closed to those who intend to break the law.”
In line with its commitment to stringent immigration policies, the Trump administration is reintroducing a policy that involves conducting neighborhood investigations for individuals applying for U.S. naturalization. (Getty Images)
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said the trend reflects a broader decline in crossings, adding that Border Patrol has not released any migrants into the country during that period.
“February marks the tenth straight month that U.S. Border Patrol has not released a single illegal alien into the interior of the United States, a clear reflection of the enforcement-first posture restoring integrity to our nation’s borders,” Scott said.
According to CBP data, agents recorded 26,963 encounters nationwide in February, down 22% from the previous month and 88% below the monthly average during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
A U.S. Army Stryker armored vehicle guards the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Jose Luis Gonzalez)
At the southwest border, agents made 6,603 apprehensions in February, a figure the agency said is 92% lower than the monthly average over the past three decades and 97% below the peak of the Biden administration in December 2023.
Officials also pointed to a sharp decline in daily crossings, with Border Patrol averaging 236 apprehensions per day in February, a 95% drop compared to the previous administration.
Venezuelan immigrant Louis Sanchez asks Texas National Guard troops to let his family pass through razor wire after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico Sept. 27, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas, during the Biden administration. (John Moore/Getty Images)
At the same time, CBP reported a surge in drug seizures after agents confiscating more than 79,000 pounds of narcotics nationwide last month, the highest monthly total since October 2021.
The agency said fentanyl seizures increased 67% from January, while marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine seizures also rose significantly.
Scott said the agency remains focused on enforcement and national security.
“While threats to our national and economic security continue to evolve, so does our resolve to meet them as we carry out our mission of protecting the homeland while facilitating lawful travel and trade,” he said.