EXCLUSIVE: Border Releases Fall To Lowest Number ‘Not Seen In Over Three Decades’

The Trump administration has delivered a historic number of zero catch-and-releases at the border in the last year, the Daily Caller learned Friday.

Following the surge in illegal entries during the Biden administration, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have cracked down on border crossings, releasing zero illegals encountered at the border in the last 13 months.

The figures from May 2026 alone draw a stark contrast to the prior Biden administration’s policies: Southwest border apprehensions were down 94 percent from the monthly average under Biden. The total border apprehensions during the 2026 fiscal year through May are 26 percent lower than the average for any single month from 1992 through 2024. (RELATED: We Reported Migrants Getting Leftist DA’s Free Legal Help. His Office Stopped Recording Their Cases)

Nearly 800 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the border in May alone. CBP captured an average of 37,033 pounds of marijuana per month for the last four months — 61 percent higher than the average during Biden’s fiscal year 2024.

Total drug seizures by the CBP were 56 percent higher this fiscal year than the same period in 2024.

Border enforcement officials under Biden let in roughly 10.3 million illegal immigrants into the country from 2021 to 2024, according to Republican Homeland Security estimates.

“Thirteen straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “The days of catch and release are over. We are enforcing the nation’s laws and quickly sending illegal aliens back to their home countries, ensuring the safety and sovereignty of our nation.”

“Our robust enforcement policies are working,” CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott said in a press release. “[W]e are delivering unprecedented results in border security, drug interdiction, and trade enforcement.”

On June 8, Border Patrol assisted Maverick County Sheriff’s Office in a traffic stop for Miguel Francisco Hernandez-Jimenez, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was smuggling humans inside a HVAC system in his truck bed.

Officers disassembled the HVAC system and found Esteban De… pic.twitter.com/SRFMtuWhxx

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 19, 2026

In addition to drug seizures, CBP captured two million counterfeit goods worth over $400 million in May alone. Border security also prevented nearly 250 shipments worth over $44 million in the same time period. (RELATED: ‘Let The Oil Flow!’: Trump Announces Diplomatic Breakthrough With Iran)

Full reporting on border apprehensions and seizures can be found on the CBP website. The U.S. has deported over 600,000 illegal immigrants in Trump’s second term, with an additional 1.9 million self-deporting, according to the White House.