There have been fewer than 9,000 apprehensions at the southwest border for 14 months.
U.S. Border Patrol recorded its 11th straight month of zero releases at the southern border in March, according to a statement by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on April 9.
“The sustained decline in illegal border crossings and apprehensions—now at levels not seen in over three decades—shows the impact of robust enforcement policies,” the statement reads.
“With daily apprehensions down 95 percent from the previous administration and 14 consecutive months of fewer than 9,000 southwest border apprehensions, the border remains more secure than at any point in history.”
Apprehensions along the southwest border in March were lower by 90 percent from the monthly average of the past 33 years. From the peak under the previous administration in December 2023, apprehensions are down 97 percent.
The number of apprehensions per day last month was fewer than the apprehensions made in a single hour during the peak in December 2023, when 336 people were taken into custody per hour.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott attributed the successful protection of the border to “America First” policies and a unified federal effort backed by infrastructure, technology, and personnel.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, we’re building on what works, refining our approach, and locking in real border security. This isn’t temporary—it’s the new normal,” Scott said, referring to Department of Homeland (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
The March numbers are a continuation of the intense crackdown on illegal immigrants in the first year of the Trump administration’s second term.
In 2025, Border Patrol apprehended 90,084 individuals along the southwest border, DHS said in a Jan. 20 statement.
This was significantly fewer than the 155,485 apprehensions recorded in an average month under the previous administration. Apprehensions by Border Patrol last year were the “lowest ever recorded in CBP history,” the department said.
In addition to border apprehensions, nearly 3 million illegal immigrants left the United States in 2025, which included approximately 2.2 million self-deportations and more than 675,000 deportations.
