On February 4, 2026, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited both the southern and northern U.S. borders to highlight recent developments in border security. The visits took place in Nogales, Arizona, at the U.S./Mexico border, and at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota near the U.S./Canada border.
Preliminary data from January indicates that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported a significant reduction in illegal crossings at the southern border. According to officials, daily apprehensions last month were 42% lower than those recorded per hour during December 2023 under the previous administration. CBP also noted that 2025 saw some of the lowest encounter totals since records began.
“For four long years before President Trump, we saw what it was like when people put men above our laws. We saw how people were victimized, hurt, and abused, and Americans didn't want to live like that anymore," said Secretary Kristi Noem. "When they elected President Trump, they chose someone who recognized that a country with no border is no country at all. With President Trump, and all of the great law enforcement officers across the country who do their work every day, we've got a promise of a bright future, and a promise of an amazing country for years to come.”
At the event in Arizona, Secretary Noem was joined by ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons; CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott; United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks; and National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez. They acknowledged the efforts of CBP and ICE personnel in achieving what they described as historic results.
Recent figures released by DHS and CBP show that January marked the ninth consecutive month without any releases of illegal aliens into the country by U.S. Border Patrol. It was also reported as the fourth straight month with declining apprehensions along the Southwest border—6,073 for January—which is 93% below the monthly average observed over more than three decades. Nationwide encounters for January totaled 34,631—an amount reportedly 87% lower than averages seen under prior leadership.
During her visit to North Dakota, Secretary Noem met with local officials including Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski and County Sheriff Andrew Schneider to discuss cooperation on Northern Border Operations. The discussions focused on strengthening these operations through new technologies.
The U.S.-Canada border stretches over 5,500 miles across 13 states and eight Canadian provinces or territories. Under current policies led by President Trump’s administration and Secretary Noem’s department leadership, there are plans to replace United States Border Patrol’s drone fleet following last year’s deployment of 300 small unmanned aircraft systems.
