In another first, the Trump administration is expected to win the “operational control” of the U.S. border as soon as next year, fulfilling a campaign promise to seal the border from illegal crossings.
A technical term for border security spelled out in the Secure Fence Act of 2006, no administration since has achieved the goal.
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But with extraordinary border initiatives and a complete reversal of former President Joe Biden’s open-door policy that let in millions of illegal migrants, President Donald Trump’s team is set to meet the requirement of no “unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband.”
Former immigration judge Andrew Arthur, now with the Center for Immigration Studies, said in an analysis of the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection numbers that the southern border appears secure.
“If current trends continue, FY 2025 will be the most secure year in history at the U.S.-Mexico line, and DHS will achieve complete ‘operational control’ of our borders in FY 2026,” he wrote.
Jessica M. Vaughan, director of policy studies for the center, said that there are multiple reasons why the U.S. has beaten its illegal immigration challenges.
“Trump has attacked the immigration problem on all fronts. He took care of the land borders first, to stop the influx, and now he is stemming the tide of visa program abusers with better vetting, stricter standards, and cutting off access to benefits,” she told Secrets.
And, she added, he has empowered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to kick out illegal immigrants inside the country.
“The hardest part is the interior enforcement cleanup, but ICE and the local partners have made truly impressive progress,” Vaughan said.
“While the removal numbers are less than the White House was hoping for, for a variety of reasons, the very public show of law enforcement in communities everywhere, and lack of success for resisters in blocking it, has convinced a huge number of illegal migrants to go home on their own. The number of migrants self-deporting is probably at least five times greater than in recent years,” she said.
Vaughan said that just showing that the border can be controlled is a victory and a model for the rest of the president’s second term.
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“This effort is incredibly important for the future. Trump has proven that the border can be controlled, and that the skeptics who said that self-deportation was a fantasy have been proven wrong. No one can credibly claim that amnesty or more visas are the only solution to illegal immigration. Not only that, it’s now obvious that voters support tough enforcement, including against employers and even for those who aren’t criminals,” said Vaughan.
“Trump needs to keep it up. Two million fewer illegal aliens is helpful, but it’s less than one-fourth the number that Biden allowed in. It’s important to institutionalize the successful policies, and not to think of this enforcement attitude as temporary. The partnerships and policies have to continue to keep our country safe and preserve the integrity of our system,” added Vaughan.