For months, Democrats insisted that the only way to secure the U.S.-Mexico border was through a bipartisan border bill they claimed Republicans—at Donald Trump’s urging—had torpedoed. Yet, as the data now shows, illegal crossings have plummeted under Trump’s leadership without any new legislation, exposing that talking point as little more than political theater.
The rapid reduction in border apprehensions has been staggering. On February 22, Customs and Border Protection agents encountered just 200 illegal immigrants at the border—the lowest single-day total in 15 years.
Meanwhile, Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks reported that crossings were down 94% from the same period in 2023. These figures directly contradict claims from Biden and Democratic leaders that the crisis could not be resolved without their legislative package.
President Trump posted this on Truth Social 🔥:
pic.twitter.com/dZeCxagDMc— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 2, 2025
So what changed? Trump took office, and his administration immediately enforced stricter immigration policies. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson made it clear: "President Trump and Secretary Noem have sent a clear message to illegal aliens: Do not come to our country. You will not be allowed in. And if you get in, we will hunt you down and deport you."
Compare that to the 2024 campaign rhetoric. At every turn, Democrats blamed Trump and congressional Republicans for the border crisis, insisting that their bipartisan Senate bill was the only way forward.
President Biden himself declared in February: "Every day between now and November, the American people are going to know that the only reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican friends."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and then-Vice President Kamala Harris echoed that message, arguing that Trump had sabotaged a deal that would have added immigration judges, asylum officers, and Border Patrol agents.
But while Democrats focused on blaming Republicans, they ignored an alternative legislative solution sitting right in front of them. The House had already passed HR-2, the Secure the Border Act, which Republicans argued provided real solutions. Instead of acting on it, the Democratic-controlled Senate let it "collect dust," as Lora Ries of the Heritage Foundation pointed out.