Homeland Security saw illegal immigration plummet in January, according to new data published Tuesday that showed the border had the lowest level of migrants detected since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

The improvements came across the board, with fewer total encounters, fewer unaccompanied alien children and fewer families of parents and children.

Border Patrol agents recorded fewer than 30,000 illegal immigrants last month along the U.S.-Mexico boundary, for the first time since May 2020. That was nearly a 40% drop compared to December, and nearly 90% lower than the record-setting worst month of the Biden administration.

Only about 7,000 of the crossers came as families, down from 14,000 in December and more than 100,000 at the peak worst days of the Biden era.

Pete Flores, acting commissioner at Customs and Border Protection, called the changes “dramatic.”

“The reduction in illegal aliens attempting to make entry into the U.S., compounded by a significant increase in repatriations, means that more officers and agents are now able to conduct the enforcement duties that make our border more secure and our country safer,” he said.

CBP said the key change was in delivering consequences to illegal border crossers.

“CBP is no longer catching and releasing illegal aliens into the U.S.,” the agency said. “In simple terms, illegal aliens are being arrested, detained and then rapidly removed.”

President Trump also has ended two Biden-era “parole” programs that had allowed unauthorized migrants to enter the U.S. even though they lacked a visa.

That caused a 33% drop in the number of unauthorized migrants showing up at ports of entry demanding entry.

January was split with roughly the first 20 days under President Biden, and the remaining days under Mr. Trump.

CBP said taking just the final 11 days, the border numbers improved 85% compared to a year ago at the same time.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.