While the nation’s attention is riveted overseas by chaos in the Red Sea, the most outrageous crisis continues to unfold right here at home: illegal border crossings have plummeted to historic lows, but only after years of reckless government policies left taxpayers paying the price for open borders, inflation, and the prioritization of noncitizens over American families.
At a Glance
- Illegal border crossings at the southern border dropped to the lowest level in modern history in June 2025, with just 6,070 apprehensions the entire month.
- Trump administration policies have reversed the “invasion” of illegal aliens that peaked under previous leadership, when 10,000 migrants crossed daily with little oversight.
- Congress is considering new legislation to finish the border wall, expand deportations, and fund states like Texas that have shouldered the burden of border security.
- Federal support for humanitarian programs for illegal migrants has been paused, redirecting resources to enforcement and removal instead.
Illegal Crossings Collapse After Years of Chaos
Border Patrol encountered only 6,070 illegal immigrants at the southern border in June—a record-shattering low and a staggering 15% drop from the previous record set just three months prior. For context, it wasn’t long ago that Americans watched in disbelief as 10,000 unvetted migrants crossed into the country every single day under the Biden administration’s so-called “compassionate” approach. This flood of illegal migration, which the current administration rightly calls an “invasion,” left state and local governments scrambling to provide resources, while legal residents faced rising costs, overwhelmed hospitals, and schools stretched to the breaking point. The fact that not a single illegal immigrant was released into the country’s interior for the second month in a row suggests a complete reversal of the open-door policies that had frustrated citizens for years. Meanwhile, the number of “gotaways”—illegals who slipped past Border Patrol undetected—has plummeted by a jaw-dropping 90% compared to last year. If this trend holds, fiscal 2025 is on track to see the lowest number of illegal immigrant encounters in five decades.
But let’s not forget how we got here. For years, Americans were told by the radical left that enforcing the border was “inhumane,” while taxpayer dollars flowed into programs subsidizing housing, food, and healthcare for illegal migrants. Now, after an administration change and some much-needed common sense, the pendulum has swung back to prioritizing American citizens and legal immigration. The contrast with the previous administration’s border debacle couldn’t be more stark.
States Take Action, Congress Finally Follows
Texas has spent over $11 billion of its own money on Operation Lone Star, a massive state-run initiative to intercept illegal crossings, arrest smugglers, and construct physical barriers where the federal government wouldn’t. And while the House recently approved an eye-popping $12 billion for states supporting border enforcement, the Senate bill also contains another $10 billion for a “State Border Security Reinforcement Fund” and $3.5 billion to reimburse states for immigration-related enforcement, detention, and prosecutions. That means, for once, the feds are actually sending money to the people and states doing the work—rather than just writing blank checks for endless “humanitarian” programs that incentivize further illegal crossings. The Parliamentarian did try to spoil the party by ruling that some provisions violated reconciliation rules, since arresting illegal aliens is supposed to be a federal power. But after clarifying that states must act within existing law, Congress included the funding anyway. Imagine that: Washington actually listening to the people on the front lines for a change.
As it stands, President Trump has thrown the full weight of federal resources behind border security, ordering the construction of more physical barriers, ramping up deportations, and instructing federal agencies to pursue criminal charges against illegal aliens and anyone who facilitates their presence. No more catch-and-release. No more pretending the problem doesn’t exist. Instead, Americans are seeing real results—and, for once, some accountability from Washington.
Humanitarian Funding Paused, Priorities Reset
Here’s where the left will really lose their minds: the Trump administration has paused grants to states and localities for programs that provide for the “urgent humanitarian needs” of newly arrived migrants, with plans to eliminate them entirely in the next federal budget. For years, these programs funneled billions into sanctuary cities and NGOs, all while American families watched their neighborhoods change overnight and their taxes go up. Now, those resources are being redirected to actual enforcement and the removal of illegal aliens from the country, just as common sense and the law demand.
Of course, the usual suspects in the media and activist world are wringing their hands, insisting that any move toward real enforcement is cruel and “un-American.” But ask the millions of taxpayers who footed the bill for endless programs benefiting noncitizens—while seeing their own needs ignored—whether they think it’s cruel, and you’ll get a very different answer.
A New Era of Border Security—and a Lesson Learned
After years of border chaos, wasted taxpayer money, and policies that seemed designed to erode the rule of law, Americans are finally seeing a return to sanity. Congress has a bill on the table that would finish the wall, hire thousands of new border personnel, expand detention, and fund at least one million deportations each year. The goal? Complete operational control of the border and a government that actually puts Americans first.
This turnaround didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of a fed-up nation demanding leaders who enforce the law and defend the Constitution, not those who bow to the loudest activist or the next “woke” agenda. Maybe, just maybe, we’ve learned the hard way that open borders, unchecked spending, and prioritizing illegal immigrants over citizens is a recipe for disaster. Now, with the numbers finally headed in the right direction, let’s see if Washington has the backbone to finish the job.
