DHS says border is 'most secure in history' as 2.5 million migrants exit US, per year-end report

The Department of Homeland Security released a year-end report Friday asserting that the border is the most secure in American history, crediting a sweeping immigration crackdown that it says has prompted more than 2.5 million migrants to leave the United States since President Donald Trump returned to office earlier this year.

DHS said that of the 2.5 million who left, an estimated 1.9 million were self-deported and more than 622,000 were forced out, according to the agency’s tally. It cited a 93% year-over-year decline in illegal border crossings, as well as roughly a 50% reduction in fentanyl trafficking and hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants arrested or deported, marking a dramatic shift from the Biden administration. "In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history, and this administration is just getting started," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

The administration said it has encouraged anyone living in the United States illegally to return to their native countries using the Customs and Border Protection Home Mobile App, which it said allows users to claim a complimentary plane ticket home and a $1,000 exit bonus upon their return.

DHS also highlighted drug-control results, noting that CBP seized nearly 540,000 pounds of drugs this year, about a 10% increase relative to the same period in 2024, while the U.S. Coast Guard retrieved roughly 470,000 pounds of cocaine, enough to kill 177 million people, according to the agency.

Taxpayers are said to have saved more than $13 billion at DHS, with the agency noting that several components, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Secret Service, have returned to their core missions. The department also highlighted bonuses awarded earlier in the year to Transportation Security Administration officers and personnel who demonstrated exemplary service during a lengthy federal shutdown.

Secretary Noem touted the progress again, underscoring that the achievements were delivered in a short period and that the administration plans to continue pursuing the stated goals. "Under President Trump’s leadership, we are making America safe again and putting the American people first," Noem said.

The year-end DHS release framed its findings as a sharp departure from the prior administration’s approach and as a validation of the administration’s focus on enforcement and deterrence. It also underscored ongoing political debates in which the administration’s policy choices are central, noting the gains in enforcement and reductions in migration as core components of its message ahead of further policy actions.