President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post this Saturday that “The Invasion of our Country is OVER,” and touted low numbers of illegal aliens entering the country last month.
He said that during February, his first full month in office, there were 8,326 “apprehensions” of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump added that they were quickly rejected or prosecuted for crimes against the U.S.
Back in September, during former President Joe Biden’s tenure, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded approximately 53,900 total “encounters” between ports of entry along the southwest border for the month. Per Customs and Border Patrol, “encounters” include apprehensions, inadmissibles and more.
According to Trump, the February numbers represent a record low and said that, under Biden, “there were 300,000 Illegals crossing in one month, and virtually ALL of them were released into our Country.”
Just a few days after Trump was inaugurated in January, former acting Department of Defense Secretary Robert Salesses announced the deployment of 1,500 ground personnel at the southern border, a 60% increase in active duty troops. He said the deployment would also include helicopters and intelligence analysts.
“For the past four years, the federal government has abdicated its responsibility to enforce the border, resulting in a catastrophic immigration crisis for the United States,” said a Fact Sheet about that order.
In mid-February, Audacy also reported that the United States Border Patrol would no longer wear body cameras while in the field. That report said a “potential security risk” was cited as the reason.
“Thanks to the Trump Administration Policies, 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,” said Trump in his Saturday afternoon post.
Another update on the border came Saturday afternoon from the U.S. Department of Defense. According to DoD Chief Spokesman, Sean Parnell, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth “has ordered the deployment of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) and General Support Aviation Battalion to reinforce and expand current border security operations to seal the border and protect the territorial integrity of the United States, a priority for the President,” at Trump’s direction.
Parnell said the forces will arrive in the coming weeks and that the deployment is part of the administration’s dedication to securing the southern border. Next week, tariffs on both Mexico and our northern neighbors in Canada – intended in part to reduce smuggling of the illicit drug fentanyl into the U.S. – are expected to kick in as well.