Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security | official website
Monthly data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicates that border security measures have resulted in record lows for illegal crossings in July 2025. The agency reported that nationwide encounters dropped to 24,630, a figure that is 2.4% lower than June and nearly 90% below the monthly average recorded during the previous administration.
Border Patrol apprehensions across the country reached 6,177 for July, surpassing June’s previous low. Along the Southwest border specifically, apprehensions totaled 4,598 for the month. This number is significantly lower than what was previously observed; from February 2021 to December 2024, daily averages stood at about 5,110 apprehensions per day.
The report also highlights that this marks the third consecutive month with no U.S. Border Patrol releases into the interior of the country. The average daily apprehension rate in July was just 148—lower than last year’s average of 152 apprehensions every two hours under the Biden administration.
On July 20th, single-day apprehensions hit historic lows: only 88 at the Southwest border and a total of 116 nationwide.
“History made, again. The numbers don’t lie—this is the most secure the border has ever been,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “President Trump didn’t just manage the crisis—he obliterated it. No more excuses. No more releases. We’ve put the cartels on defense and taken our border back.”
