White House Reports 2.3 Million Drop in Illegal Immigrant Population as Border Apprehensions Fall 95

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

The White House has announced that the estimated population of illegal immigrants in the United States has declined by at least 2.3 million since President Donald Trump returned to office, accompanied by a 95% reduction in southwest border apprehensions compared with averages recorded during the Biden administration.

In an Oct. 20 report detailing its immigration enforcement record, the administration said more than 3 million migrants have departed the country during Trump’s second term, including nearly 1.2 million deportations and removals.

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The White House described the population decline as the largest sustained reduction in illegal immigration in modern American history, citing increased deportations, voluntary departures, tougher border enforcement and changes to asylum procedures.

Federal border enforcement figures independently confirm a substantial decline in apprehensions, although estimates of the total unauthorized immigrant population and voluntary departures remain more difficult to verify.

According to preliminary fiscal year 2026 figures released by the Department of Homeland Security on Oct. 16, U.S. Border Patrol agents recorded 98,708 apprehensions along the southwest border during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

That compares with an annual average exceeding 1.8 million during former President Joe Biden’s administration, representing a decline of approximately 95%.

The department also reported 379,243 nationwide immigration encounters during fiscal year 2026, compared with approximately 2.7 million annually during the previous administration.

Nationwide encounters include immigration enforcement activity beyond Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border, making the two measurements distinct.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited the decline to the administration’s immigration policies.

“President Trump promised the American people a secure border, and the data proves he delivered,” Mullin said.

“Over the past year, CBP recorded its lowest numbers in American history. A stark contrast to Biden, where CBP recorded its highest illegal immigration numbers ever.”

The department also reported that September marked the 17th consecutive month in which Border Patrol agents released no apprehended migrants into the United States pending further immigration proceedings.

Fiscal year 2026 was the first complete fiscal year in the agency’s history with no such releases, according to DHS.

That measurement refers specifically to releases of people apprehended by Border Patrol. It does not mean that no migrants crossed the border illegally or that no foreign nationals entered the country through other immigration processes.

The administration has also reported nearly 1.3 million immigration-related arrests, alongside the removal of thousands of individuals identified as gang members or national security threats.

The White House said enforcement operations resulted in more than 12,100 arrests involving suspected gang members, including more than 1,500 alleged Tren de Aragua affiliates and nearly 2,000 alleged MS-13 affiliates.

It also reported identifying more than 2,200 known or suspected terrorists and removing more than 2,000.

Those figures come from administration records and have not all been independently reconciled with detailed public enforcement data.

The White House further reported a decline in the immigration court backlog, from more than 4.18 million pending cases to fewer than 3.09 million.

Officials attributed the reduction to accelerated case processing and changes in immigration enforcement priorities.

The administration also reported that asylum approval rates had declined to approximately 7%, compared with rates exceeding 50% during the previous administration.

Comparing asylum outcomes across administrations requires accounting for changes in applicant populations, case types, eligibility rules and how approvals are calculated.

A central component of the administration’s population estimate comes from an analysis published by the Center for Immigration Studies, an organization that advocates lower immigration levels.

In a Sept. 3 report examining Census Bureau household survey data, the organization estimated that the total foreign-born population declined by approximately 2.9 million between January 2025 and the latest survey period.

Researchers estimated that approximately 2.3 million of that reduction involved immigrants living in the country without legal authorization.

The analysis relied on federal survey data that includes naturalized citizens, permanent residents, temporary visa holders and unauthorized immigrants.

Because Census Bureau household surveys do not directly establish every respondent’s immigration status, estimates of the unauthorized population require statistical assumptions.

The Center for Immigration Studies described its estimate as preliminary.

Other immigration researchers have raised questions about whether changes in survey participation, population coverage and response rates could affect measurements of the foreign-born population.

The White House’s claim that more than 3 million migrants have departed the United States also includes voluntary departures that are more difficult to measure than formal deportations.

A Migration Policy Institute analysis reported by The Associated Press on Oct. 22 estimated that approximately 660,000 people were deported during the most recent fiscal year, a 26% increase over the annual average under Biden.

The institute estimated approximately 980,000 deportations during Trump’s first 18 months back in office, compared with the administration’s higher reported total of nearly 1.2 million.

Researchers noted that changes in federal reporting practices have complicated efforts to compare enforcement figures and independently verify the government’s totals.

The report also found that most deportees did not have criminal convictions, despite the administration’s emphasis on removing violent criminals and individuals considered threats to public safety.

Beyond immigration enforcement, the White House credited its border policies with reductions in illicit drug trafficking and border-related deaths.

The administration reported that fentanyl seizures at the southern border declined by 56%, while deaths associated with fentanyl fell by 22% over a year.

It also said Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 1 million pounds of narcotics during fiscal year 2026, approximately 63% above the previous four-year average.

Seizure totals measure drugs intercepted by authorities, however, rather than the total amount successfully smuggled into the country. Changes in seizure volumes can reflect differences in trafficking activity, enforcement intensity or both.

The White House additionally reported that deaths identified by Border Patrol near the southern border fell nearly 80% compared with the previous administration.

The administration attributed the reduction largely to fewer attempted unlawful crossings.

Independent analysis published by FactCheck.org on Oct. 21 confirmed that illegal border apprehensions have fallen dramatically since Trump returned to office.

The organization found that apprehensions during the 12 months ending in August 2026 were nearly 91% lower than during Biden’s final 12 months in office.

It also noted that border encounters began declining substantially in 2024 after the Biden administration implemented additional restrictions on asylum and border processing.

Although the precise scale of historical comparisons depends on the measurement used, available federal data show that southwest border apprehensions have reached exceptionally low levels.

The administration has also emphasized legislation enacted during Trump’s second term, including the Laken Riley Act, the HALT Fentanyl Act and the Secure America Act.

Those measures form part of the president’s broader immigration and border security agenda, which includes expanded detention capacity, stricter enforcement procedures and increased federal resources.

Supporters argue that the policies have strengthened border security and discouraged unauthorized migration.

Critics have challenged aspects of the enforcement strategy, including due process protections, expanded detention, asylum restrictions and the treatment of migrants without criminal records.

The latest figures demonstrate a pronounced reduction in apprehensions and significant immigration enforcement activity since January 2025.

However, the White House’s broader claims about the size of the unauthorized population, total departures and historical rankings depend partly on estimates that are not independently confirmed by comprehensive federal departure records.

With fiscal year 2026 complete, the administration is presenting the results as evidence that its enforcement strategy has fundamentally altered migration patterns.

The available statistics establish that southwest border apprehensions have fallen sharply, while the precise number of unauthorized immigrants who have left the United States remains subject to continuing research and verification.