SouthernWorldwide.com – The Trump administration has reached a significant milestone, marking a full year of “zero releases” at the southern border. Officials are presenting this achievement as proof that the president has successfully ended the “catch-and-release” policies that characterized the border situation during the Biden administration.
“Zero releases” specifically means that U.S. Border Patrol is no longer releasing individuals apprehended for illegal border crossings into the U.S. interior. It’s important to note that this does not signify an end to illegal crossings or apprehensions themselves.
In a statement detailing the decrease in releases at the southern border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) highlighted broader enforcement data. This data indicates that illegal crossings and apprehensions are at levels not seen in over three decades. According to CBP, Border Patrol recorded 8,943 apprehensions at the southwestern border in April. This represents a 94% decrease compared to the Biden administration’s monthly average and a 96% drop from the peak in December 2023. The number of apprehensions in April is even lower than what was recorded in just three days during April 2024.
“The days of catch and release are over,” declared Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “We are enforcing the nation’s laws and sending illegal aliens back to their home countries.”
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“What a difference,” remarked CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. “The U.S. Border Patrol released zero illegal aliens into our country again this month, unlike April 2024 when more than 68,000 were released under President Biden. Every minute of every day President Trump’s border security policies are making every American safer.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that the average of 298 apprehensions per day in April was less than the number apprehended in a single hour during the peak of the Biden-era surge. During December 2023, Border Patrol was averaging 336 apprehensions per hour. Furthermore, CBP stated that total encounters for the current fiscal year, amounting to 215,876, are 13% lower than the total recorded in April 2024 alone.
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Beyond illegal crossings, CBP also pointed to increased drug and trade enforcement figures. Nationwide seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana by weight saw a 60% increase from April 2024. The agency reported seizing 463 pounds of fentanyl in April and has seized 61% more drugs year-to-date in this fiscal year compared to the same period in FY 2024.
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Reichlin-Melnick acknowledged that Trump’s stringent immigration approach has yielded border results, noting a significant decrease in apprehensions and stating that “the hardened tactics against migrants has produced results.” However, he argued that the administration’s policies have gone too far by effectively blocking access to asylum at the southern border.
“The Trump administration has sent the message to the world that the United States is no longer a place where people can seek safety,” Reichlin-Melnick stated.
Reichlin-Melnick concurred that the asylum system has long required substantial reform, including the need for more asylum officers, immigration judges, and adjustments to screening standards. Nevertheless, he believes the objective should not be to eliminate access to the system entirely, which he suggested the Trump administration has effectively accomplished.
“I think most Americans believe we should be a place where people can find safety,” he said, referencing Ronald Reagan’s vision of America as a “shining city on a hill.” “I don’t think the answer was to shut it off completely.”
DHS officials, however, maintain that the dramatic reduction in border crossings demonstrates the effectiveness of the administration’s policies, particularly after years of record-setting illegal immigration under the Biden administration.
