As Sarah highlighted over the weekend, the border numbers for February are in and they show President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration is working. Last month, there were only 8,326 encounters at the Southwest border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol reported, which is the lowest number recorded by CBP.
“The world is hearing our message: do not come to our country illegal,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.
Trump, meanwhile, touted the numbers and said the “invasion of our country is OVER.”
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean the administration is letting up. The Pentagon is sending about 3,000 additional active-duty troops to the southern border.
“As directed by President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) and General Support Aviation Battalion to reinforce and expand current border security operations to seal the border and protect the territorial integrity of the United States, a priority for the President,” said Sean Parnell, Defense Department chief spokesman.
“These forces will arrive in the coming weeks and their deployment underscores the Department's unwavering dedication to working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States under President Trump's leadership,” he added.
100% OPERATIONAL CONTROL will be had at the southern border. https://t.co/Iw0oRUQosq
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) March 1, 2025
Between the National Guard troops sent by governors and those deployed under federal orders, there are currently more than 9,000 troops already serving at the U.S.-Mexico border.
