WASHINGTON — The Trump Administration has done what no modern president even attempted: end the border crisis, restore control of America’s immigration system, and put American workers back at the front of the line. Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has shattered decades of failed policy, securing the largest increase in immigration enforcement funding in U.S. history and driving the first decline in the foreign-born U.S. population in more than 50 years.
Thanks to aggressive enforcement, streamlined deportation protocols, and the restoration of real border security, hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens have been deported and over 2 million more have self-deported rather than face certain removal. And this is only the beginning: the first wave of newly trained ICE agents is beginning to deploy, expanding the administration’s ability to sustain record-high enforcement levels into 2025 and beyond.
“President Trump and Secretary Noem said we’d secure the border, enforce our laws, reinstate integrity into our immigration system, and protect American jobs and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “The era of mass illegal migration, open borders, and visa abuse is over. The American people finally have a government that enforces the law, not one that apologizes for it.”
Restoring Integrity to the Visa System
As part of this broader effort to restore law and order, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has intensified scrutiny of America’s visa programs. Under the Trump administration, USCIS has restored robust screening and vetting capabilities, re-emphasized fraud detection and deterrence, and reduced exploitation of the immigration system through humanitarian and Temporary Protected Status programs, including significant achievements in just the past three months alone:
In August, USCIS updated their policy manual to include screening for factors relating to an alien’s past requests for parole and any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations, as well as the use of discretion in adjudication of certain benefit requests where evidence of antisemitic activity is present. Immigration benefits, including to live and work in the U.S., remain a privilege, not a right.
In September, through Operation Twin Shield— in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—DHS focused on more than 1,000 fraud or ineligibility instances, conducted over 900 site visits and in-person interviews, and found evidence of fraud, non-compliance, public safety or national security concerns in 275 of the cases.
In October, DHS ended the automatic extension of certain employment authorization categories, putting a stop to a cycle of autopen signed screening and vetting applications. Ending this cycle ensures a higher vetting frequency of aliens who apply for employment authorization to work in the U.S. This extra step enables USCIS to better deter fraud and detect aliens with potential harmful intent and can expedite their removal process.
A Return to Law, Order, and American Prosperity
Record Enforcement Funding: The Trump Administration secured the largest boost to immigration enforcement funding in U.S. history, ensuring DHS, ICE, CBP, and USCIS have the resources to carry out mass removals and protect the homeland.
Mass Deportations and Self-Deports: In less than a year, hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens have been deported, while an estimated 2 million have left voluntarily to avoid prosecution or removal.
New ICE Agents: The first wave of newly trained ICE officers will deploy in the come months, marking the largest expansion of field enforcement personnel in two decades.
Historic Population Shift: In an era where unchecked mass immigration has ravaged American communities, depressed wages, and eroded national sovereignty for over half a century, achieving net negative migration represents a seismic reversal, and the dawn of sustainable sovereignty.