BORDER BRIEF: FY25 Southwest Border Apprehensions Hit Lowest Level in Half a Century as Law Enforcement Faces Threats

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 September and throughout the entirety of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. In September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported only 8,386 U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) apprehensions between ports of entry at the Southwest border-an 84 percent decrease compared to one year prior under the Biden-Harris administration. Additionally, in September 2025, nationwide border encounters (144,666) dropped more than 82 percent compared to last year.

"Southwest border apprehensions are at the lowest level in half a century, and criminal cartels are running out of ways to line their pockets at our expense. Americans can thank President Trump's proven border security policies for these results, from surging resources to the Southwest border to ending catch-and-release," Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) said. "House Republicans made significant investments in the border barrier system, cutting-edge technology, and growing the CBP workforce, but those resources are only part of the picture. We must continue to build on these border security successes, ensure they last long into the future, and prevent abuse of our immigration system--like we saw under the Biden administration."

"For the last five months, we have continued to see the border numbers drop to historic lows. We are enabling our men and women of the CBP to do their jobs and keep our border secured," Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) said. "I'm thankful for the work President Trump has done to secure the border, and we will continue our work in Congress to ensure that we never have a border crisis like the one under the Biden-Harris Administration again."

The Trump administration's strong enforcement of the law at our nation's borders and House Republicans' historic reconciliation investments are disincentivizing human and drug smuggling across our borders. In FY 2025, which includes data from October 2024 through September 2025, USBP apprehensions between ports of entry at the Southwest border (237,538) hit the lowest level since 1970. For comparison, there were 1.6 million illegal crossings in FY 2021, President Biden's first fiscal year as president.

After four years of the Biden-Harris administration's catch-and-release policies, September marked the fifth month in a row where zero illegal aliens were released by USBP into our communities. To help agents maintain control in the field, DHS awarded contracts to build 230 miles of border barrier, including technology to modernize the barrier system, thanks to Homeland Republicans' investments in the July reconciliation package.

Meanwhile, federal law enforcement faced increased threats in September. On September 24, a gunman fired indiscriminately on a Dallas, Texas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility and tragically took the life of two individuals in custody. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE personnel are facing an 8,000 percent increase in death threats.

Now that our land borders are secure, criminal cartels are turning to our maritime borders. According to the Washington Examiner, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) seized a "record-high $3.8 billion worth of cocaine" in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific from smugglers in FY2025. The USCG announced $150 million in new investments in technology to mitigate malicious drones, which criminals often use for drug smuggling operations, after Homeland Republicans provided these resources.

Key Facts:

• FY2025 closed on a strong note, with 79 percent fewer Southwest border encounters than FY2024. U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) apprehensions between ports of entry at the Southwest border in FY25 (237,538) hit the lowest level since 1970.
• In September, CBP nationwide border encounters decreased 82 percent compared to September 2024.
• In September, Southwest border encounters decreased 88.6 percent (101,790 vs 11,647) compared to last September.
• USBP apprehensions between ports of entry at the Southwest border in September (8,386) decreased 84.4 percent compared to September 2024 (53,858).
• Through Operation Pacific Viper, the U.S. Coast Guard has interdicted more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine, averaging about 1,600 lbs. of cocaine interdicted daily since August.
• CBP encounters of inadmissible aliens at the Northern border dropped nearly 74 percent in September 2025 (4,436) compared to September 2024 (17,127).
• In September, for the fifth month in a row, zero inadmissible aliens were released by Border Patrol into American communities.

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