The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday what it described as a historic success in curbing illegal border crossings, declaring the 2025 fiscal year the most secure on record.
According to DHS, the number of Border Patrol encounters between ports of entry in June fell to approximately 84,000 — the lowest monthly total since January 2021.
Department officials said this figure reflects a sustained decline, with June marking the third consecutive month of decreasing border encounters and the lowest third quarter since the start of President Biden’s administration.
The agency attributes the decline to a combination of aggressive enforcement actions, international cooperation, and increased use of legal migration pathways. In particular, DHS pointed to over 600,000 individual enforcement actions taken in the past year, including both deportations and removals — more than any single fiscal year since 2010. This includes over 120,000 removals of individuals from the U.S. border since May 2023.
“This administration has now removed more individual migrants in the last year than in any year since 2010, while also setting records for drug seizures, employer sanctions, and international law enforcement cooperation,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The department also noted a significant increase in legal migration through programs like the CBP One mobile app, which has processed more than 636,000 appointments at ports of entry since its launch. Meanwhile, parole programs for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have facilitated over 500,000 lawful entries, with DHS citing a strong 99.7% compliance rate among participants.
DHS emphasized that a large part of its success is also due to expanded agreements with countries across the Western Hemisphere. These partnerships have allowed for the repatriation of migrants to a growing number of nations that had previously resisted taking back deportees. Nearly 40 countries now receive U.S. repatriation flights, including Venezuela.
The announcement comes as the Biden administration faces pressure from both sides of the aisle over its immigration policies. While Republicans have criticized what they call lax enforcement, Wednesday’s figures could bolster the administration’s argument that it has brought order to the border through a mix of policy reforms and bilateral agreements.
Mayorkas acknowledged that challenges remain, including the lack of congressional action on immigration reform. Still, he called the record-setting numbers “evidence that our strategy is working” and urged lawmakers to provide DHS with the tools and resources needed to sustain the effort.
“We continue to call on Congress to fix our broken system,” Mayorkas said. “But even in the face of inaction, we are making real progress.”
