BORDER BRIEF: Homeland Republicans Detail the Trump Administration’s Whole-of-Government Border Security Success

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security released its latest "Border Brief" factsheet, detailing the Trump administration's continued success in securing our borders and the homeland in August. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported only 6,321 U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) apprehensions between ports of entry at the Southwest border-an 89% decrease compared to one year prior under the Biden-Harris administration. Additionally, in August 2025, nationwide border encounters dropped over 83% compared to last year.

In August, for the fourth month in a row, zero inadmissible aliens were released by USBP into American communities, compared to the 10,186 inadmissible aliens that were released under the Biden-Harris administration last August. Additionally, in August, USBP averaged just 204 apprehensions of illegal aliens per day, 96% lower than the daily average under the Biden-Harris administration.

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"For four years, the Biden-Harris administration's open-borders policies, coupled with sanctuary city jurisdictions in New York and across the country, turned the United States into a safe haven for cartels, gangs, and even our adversaries. Now, our communities are safer thanks to the return of common sense in Washington and the whole-of-government efforts by the Trump administration to empower law enforcement at every level," House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) said. "This Committee looks forward to hearing more on these successes in our annual Worldwide Threats hearing and continuing our work to codify these successful border security policies for future generations of Americans."

"Every American is safer because of President Trump's reversal of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' catch-and-release agenda, which has resulted in zero illegal aliens being paroled into the U.S. for four months in a row," Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) said. "America has turned the tide from the Biden-Harris border crisis by allowing the men and women of CBP to accomplish their mission. Our next priority is codifying President Trump's border security success into law to ensure we never face another historic border crisis again."

"The numbers speak for themselves: our borders are more secure than ever due to interagency collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)," Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) said. "Through seamless intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations, and joint operations, our agencies work hand-in-hand to identify emerging threats, disrupt terrorist networks before they reach our shores, and secure our borders against those who would exploit them. Their coordination ensures that we are using a wide range of federal capabilities to intercept threats while protecting our communities. DHS and the FBI must remain vigilant in watching over America's borders and the homeland."

"The United States Coast Guard and CBP Air & Marine Operations play a vital role in defending our shores," Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) said. "Every day, these brave men and women interdict cartel members and seize millions of dollars' worth of deadly drugs before they ever reach our communities. Under President Trump's leadership, America's maritime forces are going directly after narco-terrorists and drug smugglers, protecting our homeland, and keeping the American people safe."

Our nation's brave law enforcement agents and officers are on the frontlines of President Trump's proven border security policies, putting their lives on the line to identify potential public safety and national security threats. On September 14, 2025, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Homestead, Florida, was injured during a traffic stop by an illegal alien from Guatemala. Similar attacks and threats of violence have not deterred ICE agents and officers from doing their jobs. Seventy percentof ICE arrests are of inadmissible aliens who have been charged or convicted of a crime in the United States, not including those with criminal records in foreign countries.

With the Trump administration's whole-of-government efforts to combat drug smuggling and remove illicit drugs from American communities, nationwide seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana by CBP at our borders increased 9.2% in August from the month prior. In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee last week, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel confirmed that since January 20, 2025, the FBI has made over 25,000 immigration-related arrests in the interior, including 350 members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), and 195 members of MS-13. Through Operation Pacific Viper, the U.S. Coast Guard has interdicted more than 75,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehended nearly 60 suspected cartel drug smugglers since August.

This success will be amplified by the historic investments made in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act." To ensure our Southwest land border and the homeland remains secure, House Republicans provided over $46 billion to enhance and modernize the border barrier system. CBP has begun awarding contracts using this funding to update legacy border wall and add detection technology such as lighting, roads, and cameras to areas with previously contracted wall. In addition, five new surveillance towers are being installed in the Del Rio Sector to help combat smuggling operations.

Key Facts:

• Last month, USBP paroled zero illegal aliens into the U.S., compared to the 10,186 paroled by the Biden-Harris administration in August 2024.
• Nationwide border encounters in August (26,191) decreased over 83% compared to August 2024 (158,893).
• Southwest border encounters (9,740) dropped nearly 91% compared to August 2024 (107,473).
• Border Patrol apprehensions between ports of entry at the Southwest border last month (6,321) decreased by 89% compared to August 2024 (58,009).
• CBP encounters of inadmissible aliens at the Northern border dropped nearly 64% in August 2025 (6,837) compared to August 2024 (18,944)

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