(SRN NEWS) – The Trump administration says its border strategy is delivering a result that eluded the previous administration: for 16 consecutive months, no person apprehended while illegally crossing into the United States has been released into the country, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS says the policy marks a decisive end to “catch and release,” the practice Republicans have long criticized as a major incentive for illegal immigration. Under President Donald Trump, the department says migrants apprehended at the border are now facing meaningful consequences, including detention, removal, or prosecution when appropriate.
The latest figures show a sharp decline in illegal crossings. U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in August were 5% lower than in July and 94% below the monthly average recorded during the Biden administration, according to DHS.
“Sixteen straight months of zero releases at the border proves that President Trump’s policies are working,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
Mullin said the administration had restored enforcement and made public safety a central priority.
“Catch and release is over, consequences are back, and illegal crossings have fallen to historic lows,” Mullin said. “President Trump made a promise to the American people that he would make America safe again, and he has done just that by giving us the most secure border in American history.”
The department also reported a major increase in drug seizures compared with the previous administration. Nearly 800 pounds of fentanyl were confiscated at the border in August, DHS said.
The figure underscores the connection between border security and the fight against deadly drugs, particularly synthetic opioids that have devastated communities across the country. Republicans have argued that stronger border enforcement is necessary not only to stop illegal immigration, but also to disrupt the cartels responsible for moving narcotics into the United States.
Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, said the administration has made significant progress but warned that cartels will continue searching for weaknesses in the system.
“The criminal cartels are gonna exploit everything they can. They’re gonna look for every loophole,” Perez said. He added that the cartels are motivated by money and treat migrants as “human cargo,” rather than as people whose safety matters.
To counter those operations, federal authorities are expanding the use of drone and counter-drone technology. Perez said the technology is being used to protect border communities, law enforcement officers, and military personnel stationed along the southern border.
He also credited funding from President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” with helping officials acquire additional tools to respond to cartel activity.
The administration’s enforcement campaign extends beyond the border itself. DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 51,000 people in August who were in the country illegally.
Together, the figures present a clear contrast with the previous administration’s border policies. Republicans say the data show that deterrence, enforcement, and federal cooperation can produce immediate results when the White House makes border security a priority.
Officials acknowledge the work is not finished. But after years of record migration and widespread concern over drugs and crime, the Trump administration says the nation is seeing a fundamental shift: fewer illegal crossings, no releases into the interior, and a renewed emphasis on enforcing the law.
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