March 1 (UPI) — Illegal border crossings into the United States reached the lowest level in at least 25 years in February as the Department of Defense reinforces border security operations.
Customs and Border Protection officials recorded 8,450 apprehensions of people illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in February, CBS News reported. No data was provided on apprehensions at the U.S.-Canada border.
President Donald Trump, who returned to office on Jan. 20, called the number of illegal crossings at the nation’s southern border last month is the lowest in history. He put the number at 8,326.
“The invasion of our country is over,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday.
“The border is closed to all illegal immigrants. Anyone who tries to illegally enter the U.S.A. will face significant criminal penalties and immediate deportation.
All of those apprehended were ejected from the United States or “when necessary, prosecuted for crimes against the United States of America,” Trump said.
Average daily border crossings were 5,333 in 2021, 6,423 in 2022, 5,590 in 2023 and 2,872 in 2024 when Joe Biden was president.
Border Patrol recorded more than 8,000 apprehensions in a single day in September 2023.
The number of apprehensions in February is the lowest number during the current century, CBS News reported.
Trump made closing the northern and southern U.S. borders and greatly reducing illegal border crossings a central part of his presidential campaign.
Once elected, he mobilized federal agencies to enhance border enforcement and arrest and detain undocumented migrants in the United States.
The mobilization includes the U.S. military, which has stationed troops at the U.S.-Mexico border and uses military aircraft to deport undocumented migrants.
Trump earlier declared illegal border crossings a national security priority, which enables the military to become an active partner in border enforcement.
The Department of Defense on Saturday announced the deployment of an armored Stryker brigade combat team and a general-support aviation battalion to reinforce and expand current border security operations.
The forces are 2,400 soldiers from Fort Carson in Colorado and around 500 service members from Fort Stewart in Georgia, CNN reported.
They will arrive in the coming weeks and affirms the DOD’s “unwavering dedication to working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the United States,” the DOD announcement said.
Immigration enforcement also increased greatly in February.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday announced the arrests of more than 20,000 migrants who illegally were in the United States in February.
“Hundreds of thousands of criminals were let into this country illegally,” Noem said. “We are sending them home and they will never be allowed to return.”
Noem said the Biden administration arrested a total of 33,000 illegal border crossers in 2024 and last month’s arrest numbers are 627% more than the monthly average throughout Biden’s presidency.
“President Trump and his administration are saving lives every day because of the actions we are taking to secure the border and deport illegal alien criminals,” Noem said.
