House Committee Advances Trump's Border Security Legislation

In the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term, the administration has aggressively pursued a comprehensive border security agenda, leading to a significant decline in illegal border crossings and related activity. According to the White House and Department of Homeland Security, illegal border encounters have dropped by 95% and illegal immigrant 'getaways' by 99%, with migrant arrests at historic lows. The administration credits the turnaround to robust executive actions, including declaring a national emergency, increasing military presence at the border, resuming border wall construction, and enforcing large-scale deportations, with over 139,000 deportations since taking office. Additionally, Trump has designated major gangs and cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and cracked down on catch-and-release policies, releasing only nine illegal immigrants into the U.S. during this period. Congressional Republicans are moving to codify these measures by advancing legislation to fund new border security infrastructure and solidify Trump’s policies in law. Administration officials and Border Patrol agents describe the shift as a 'night and day' difference compared to the previous administration, emphasizing restored enforcement and deterrence.