In May of 2024, more than 62,000 illegal aliens were released into the country under the leadership of then President Joe Biden. But under President Donald Trump’s leadership, not a single illegal alien was released into the United States in the entire month of May, according to newly released data.
Data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows that Border Patrol agents encountered 8,725 illegal aliens attempting to cross the southwest border between ports of entry in the month of May, but not a single one was released into the interior. In contrast, border agents encountered 117,905 illegal aliens during the same time last year under Biden’s watch.
According to CBP, the “total number of encounters nationwide, including at ports of entry, averaged approximately 952 per day in May 2025 — a 2% decrease from April 2025. This was the second lowest average daily number of CBP encounters in history.”
“Under the leadership of this administration, CBP has received historic support resulting in another 93% decrease in illegal crossings along the southwest border this month when compared with last year,” said Pete Flores, Acting Commissioner of CBP. “Border numbers continue to trend at historic lows, reinforcing the sustained success of our enforcement efforts in securing the homeland and protecting American communities.”
The stark contrast between Biden and Trump’s leadership comes after Biden spent years being derelict in his duty to protect the homeland, instead falsely telling Americans in February of 2024 that: “Every day between now and November, the American people are going to know that the only reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican friends.”
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But as it would turn out, the only reason the border wasn’t secure was because of Biden and the Democrats. When Biden entered office he halted construction of the border relay, expanded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, reversed Trump-era immigration law enforcement, issued a deportation moratorium and resurrected an Obama-era parole program for illegals among other things.
Biden would later go on to blame Trump and Republicans for the insecure border, even peddling the claim that he lacked authority to secure the southern border, telling a reporter last January that he had “done all I can do.”
“Just give me the power! … Give me the border patrol! Give me the people! The judges! Give me the people who can stop this and make it work right!” Biden told a reporter who asked whether he had done everything he could do via executive authority.
But it’s not that Biden lacked the power — it’s that he didn’t want to use the power he had to secure the southern border.
Upon taking office, Trump immediately reinstated his “Remain in Mexico” policy to deter illegal crossings, declared a national emergency at the southern border, and ordered construction of the border wall to resume. Trump also authorized the National Guard and active duty military to work with Customs and Border Patrol agents to secure the border, among other things.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2