March 17, 2025
We have now the best border we’ve ever had, and we did that in a period of five weeks.
President Donald Trump reacting to the latest border numbers in an interview on Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.
Why It Matters: During President Trump’s first full month in office, the number of nationwide (28,654) and southwest (11,709) border encounters plummeted to the lowest numbers seen since February 2018 and April 2017, respectively. Speaking of the February figures, Customs and Border Protection said that nationwide apprehensions averaged approximately 330 per day — marking “the lowest nationwide average apprehensions in CBP history.” (CBP)
Of particular note is the dramatic drop in encounters with unaccompanied children (those under 18 who arrive at the border without a parent or guardian and without legal status): 836 in February compared to 10,427 during the same month last year.
Additionally, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) announced it made 32,809 “enforcement arrests” during the first 50 days of the Trump presidency, including 14,111 convicted criminals, 9,980 facing charges and 1,155 criminal gang members.
Read More: U.S. Customs and Border Protection February 2025 Monthly Update (CBP)
Nationwide Encounters (CBP)
by Courtney Lesskis, based in Texas
