Staff Reports
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks recently proclaimed that February was a month to remember—specifically for how forgettable it was in terms of illegal migration. The agency reported a jaw-dropping drop in migrant encounters, plummeting to an all-time low of just 8,326 apprehensions along the southern border. That’s right, only 8,326! In a twist worthy of a good sitcom, this number represents a staggering 94% decrease from the chaotic February of last year, when a whopping 140,641 encounters were recorded. Apparently, that’s what happens when you actually enforce the law instead of dancing around it like a toddler who forgot how to spin in circles.
Banks attributes this binge on lawful compliance to the hard-nosed policies that were ushered in under President Trump’s administration. He made it clear that the days of “catch and release” are over, marking the transition of the Biden Administration’s open-door policies to a “no vacancy” sign at the border that actually means something—not the kind that lets anyone in for a sleepover. Banks elaborated that the dedication to “detect, arrest, identify, prosecute, and REMOVE” individuals who laugh in the face of U.S. sovereignty is firmly in play.
NEW: Illegal Alien Encounters At Southern Border Plunge To Record Lows. https://t.co/GY4D5BfbEn#DiamondandSilk
— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) March 3, 2025
If there is one thing to take home from this announcement, it is that Trump’s focus on immigration has paid off like a winning lottery ticket. The former President’s efforts to tighten border controls included a suite of executive orders that clamped down on the asylum process and expedited deportation efforts. It appears that fewer individuals are willing to risk an illegal crossing when the message is crystal clear: come through the front door or don’t come at all. Between the reimplementation of the Remain in Mexico policy and the swift closures of certain immigration avenues, the administration’s approach couldn’t be more obvious—rule of law is back, folks!
The aftermath of these focused policies is already jumping off the charts. Many non-governmental shelters that relied on the flow of hopeful migrants and taxpayer dollars have had to shut their doors—a classic case of “you snooze, you lose.” These are the same facilities that played a starring role in transporting illegal aliens and asylum-seekers into the U.S. interior, a practice that right-minded Americans are more than ready to wave goodbye to.
While all these changes may seem like putting the genie back in the bottle, Banks insisted the benefits of stricter enforcement are ringing loud and clear. The chief pointed to the logic in punishing illegal entry as a deterrent, which is essentially a fancy way of saying, “embrace the consequences.” His stance is unequivocal: if someone attempts to cross illegally, they will not be graced with the opportunity to make an asylum claim. They’ll need to use designated ports of entry or visit an embassy back home—sounds like a plan that could work for a responsible country, doesn’t it? The shifting tides at the border may just be the start of putting America back in control of its own laws and borders.
