Illegal crossings at Mexico border at ‘historic lows’ in April as Trump steps up deportations

Illegal border crossings at the US-Mexico border remained near historic lows in April this year, up slightly from previous months, according to preliminary data obtained by The Post.

Statistics from the Border Patrol show that federal agents recorded fewer than 10,000 encounters with migrants crossing the southern border illegally, a 93% drop from the more than 128,000 reported in April of the previous year.

These figures reflect the impact of the immigration policies of the Administration of President Donald Trump, who made border security a central promise of his campaign.

In February of this year, approximately 8,300 illegal crossings were recorded, while in March the figure dropped to 7,100, the lowest level in at least 25 years.

Along the same lines, Homeland Security sources indicated that current monthly encounters are lower than the illegal crossings accumulated on some days during the Joe Biden Administration. In April, the highest daily number of encounters did not exceed 450 people.

For his part, Manny Bayon, president of the National Border Patrol Council's San Diego Sector Chapter, expressed to The Post his astonishment at these numbers stating, “[I’ve] never seen numbers this low in my over 25 years of Border Patrol service.”

Upon assuming his second term, Trump declared a national emergency on the border, deploying thousands of troops to the region and eliminating the Biden Administration's "capture and release" policy, which allowed millions of illegal immigrants to enter the country while awaiting their immigration processes.

These measures, combined with increased surveillance and the construction of new sections of the border fence, have contributed to the drastic reduction in illegal crossings.

Border under control in first 100 days

While the border remains under control, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stepped up mass deportation efforts.

In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, ICE arrested more than 66,000 illegal immigrants and deported more than 65,000 people, according to agency data.

“We’re just 100 days into this administration and thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is using every tool at its disposal to enforce our country’s immigration laws and protect our communities,” said Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, in a recent statement.

As the Republican administration continues to implement its immigration agenda, the numbers of illegal crossings and deportations will remain a key indicator of its border strategy.

For now, the combination of increased surveillance, military presence and rapid deportations appears to have transformed the situation at the southern border, marking a notable contrast to previous years.