Rep. Michael Guest, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement, has highlighted what he describes as significant progress in border security during President Trump’s second term. In an op-ed published by the Washington Reporter, Guest outlined recent data and actions taken to address illegal border crossings.
According to statistics released by the House Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported an 85% decrease in nationwide border encounters in January 2026 compared to January 2024. Over the period from February 2025 through January 2026, there was an 83% reduction in encounters compared to the previous year under the Biden administration, when CBP recorded 2.1 million encounters.
Guest credited these results to a comprehensive government strategy initiated after President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025. Measures included increasing resources at the border, reinforcing barriers, ending certain immigration policies such as catch-and-release and mass parole, disrupting cartel operations, and supporting law enforcement efforts.
Guest stated: “These results speak for themselves. After years of chaos created by the open-border policies of the Left, we have seen a restoration of law and order. From February 2025 through January 2026 — the first year of President Trump’s second term — nationwide border encounters dropped 83 percent compared to the period of February 2024 through January 2025 under the Biden administration, in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded 2.1 million nationwide encounters.”
The op-ed noted that within days of President Trump taking office in January 2025, encounters at Southwest border ports dropped by more than ninety percent compared to late January under his predecessor. By June that year, monthly Southwest border encounters fell below ten thousand for the first time in several years.
Guest also emphasized changes regarding individuals entering without authorization: “Most importantly, for the ninth month in a row, there were zero parole releases of inadmissible aliens into our communities in January 2026.”
Efforts against drug smuggling have continued as well; narcotic seizures increased by fifteen percent at U.S. borders between December 2025 and January 2026.
Despite these reported gains, Guest raised concerns about funding instability at DHS due to ongoing political disagreements over appropriations legislation: “Unfortunately, DHS is now facing another shutdown — one that was completely avoidable and is a direct result of Democrats’ refusal to put the safety of Americans ahead of partisan games.”
He noted that current operations are sustained partly due to previously passed funding measures but warned that continued disruptions could undermine progress made over the past year.
House Republicans recently passed a bipartisan full-year funding bill for DHS with provisions including body cameras for personnel and enhanced training resources; however, Guest criticized Senate Democrats for not advancing this legislation: “As an appropriator, I was proud to see House Republicans pass a bipartisan, full-year funding bill for DHS last month that was negotiated and agreed upon across party lines... As of today, Senate Democrats still refuse to pass it.”
During a recent committee hearing with officials from CBP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Guest asked about potential impacts if long-term DHS funding remains blocked. According to his account: “Each witness testified that it would undermine interagency coordination and hinder the department’s ability to effectively carry out its core mission.”
Guest concluded his remarks by urging colleagues across party lines to support permanent solutions: “I urge my Democrat colleagues to see the state of the border not as a partisan issue but as an American imperative…”
