Border Encounters Plummet 93% Under New Trump Administration Policies Amid Legal Battles

Washington D.C. – The number of illegal border encounters at the U.S. southern border has reportedly fallen by 93% since the new Trump administration took office, with daily encounters dropping to record lows. This dramatic shift follows a series of stringent immigration policies, including the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and expanded expedited removal, which have sparked intense legal challenges and renewed debate over U.S. asylum law. The significant reduction contrasts sharply with the record-high crossings observed during the previous administration.

The Trump administration has swiftly implemented several hardline measures, such as ending the CBP One app for asylum scheduling and deploying military forces to the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data indicates that August 2025 saw 26,197 total encounters nationwide, a 93% decrease from the Biden administration's peak of 370,883. "We are proving every day that tough, consistent enforcement works," stated CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott in an August 2025 release. These actions aim to deter illegal immigration, but have been met with immediate legal scrutiny, with courts temporarily blocking some executive orders, including those related to the Alien Enemies Act and birthright citizenship.

Critics, such as social media user Sam Peak, question the narrative surrounding these policies. Peak stated in a recent tweet, "I don't think Trump's border numbers would be so low if his policies weren't constantly churning out alarming headlines and if he actually followed asylum law (which he did to some extent during his first term)." Peak further challenged those who criticize former President Biden's "relaxed immigration policies" to explain how they specifically led to increased illegal immigration.

During the Biden administration, illegal border crossings reached record levels, peaking at approximately 3.2 million encounters in 2023, partly due to the lifting of pandemic-era Title 42 measures. While Biden later introduced stricter border controls, leading to some decline, the current administration's policies have pushed numbers to levels not seen in decades. The stark difference highlights the contentious nature of immigration enforcement and the ongoing legal and political battles over the balance between border security and asylum protections.