By José Niño
Border Patrol apprehensions at the Southwest border in June 2025 dropped to the lowest monthly total ever recorded, marking what many restrictionist observers hail as a long overdue correction after years of surging illegal entries.
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New data from Customs and Border Protection reveal that, in June, agents caught only 6,072 illegal entrants at the United States-Mexico border, a figure sharply down from 83,532 in June 2024 and an astonishing 192,399 in June 2022.
These numbers reflect a 98.2% reduction since last summer, and are also 45.5% below April 2017, previously the low-water mark following President Donald Trump’s initial crackdown in his first term.
“Americans are safer today than they were six months ago, which is likely why nobody’s talking about ‘border security’ anymore,” wrote Andrew R. Arthur, a Center for Immigration Studies fellow, describing these developments as a direct result of Trump’s decision to end the “legally questionable” CHNV parole program [for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela] and CBP One programs.
These tools, Arthur notes, had admitted more than 1.4 million aliens into the country without visas and had been widely criticized for rampant fraud and inadequate vetting.
Yet, with these historic gains in stemming border incursions, the broader immigration crisis remains unresolved. The Trump administration is now moving ahead with plans to further reform the legal immigration system, targeting the deeply contentious H-1B visa lottery for high-skill workers.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant temporary work visa that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring specialized knowledge and typically at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. This program serves as a mechanism for addressing alleged labor shortages in high-skill sectors while providing foreign professionals with opportunities to work in America.
Instead of a random lottery, the new Trump administration proposal will give preference to those offered the highest salaries. Observed economist Mark Regets:
Weighting would suggest giving a higher probability of being selected for certain applicants, but everyone would still have some chance at being selected
He noted that a candidate making $200,000 could have twice the shot at a visa as one making $100,000. While supporters argue this will reward merit and curtail exploitation of the system by staffing firms, critics warn the measure could sideline talented young graduates and undercut entire sectors.
Despite these headline improvements, enforcement advocates warn that America’s deportation numbers remain far below what is needed. According to the most recent Department of Homeland Security data reported by CBS News, ICE recorded nearly 150,000 deportations during Trump’s first six months in office (Jan. 20 through July 20), averaging more than 800 deportations per day.
These figures lag significantly compared to monthly averages under the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. These numbers are even lower than Joe Biden’s first years in office.
For perspective, according to estimates cited by the Migration Policy Center, total deportations—including voluntary returns—under Bill Clinton may have reached up to 12.3 million.
During peak years in the early 2000s, annual removals often exceeded 300,000 after the reorganization of immigration enforcement in the post-9/11 era.
Barack Obama removed more than 400,000 individuals in some years, and averaged consistently high deportation tallies through his two terms. Even Biden’s first year saw substantial removals—though these were artificially boosted as his administration shifted focus from the prior president’s immigration agenda and allowed many more people into the country.
Restrictionist groups stress that meaningful reform cannot stop with border enforcement or lottery tweaks for guest workers. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates the United States is now home to 18.6 million illegal immigrants as of March 2025, a number that has ballooned amid decades of lax border and work enforcement.
Since the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which initiated the largest sustained wave of legal migration in American history, the nation has admitted at least 47.6 million new lawful permanent residents through fiscal year 2024. These trends have driven both the scale and diversity of immigration to levels never envisioned by the country’s founders, pushing America far from its demographic origins.
Tougher measures, such as mandatory use of E-Verify (an electronic system obligating employers to verify the immigration status of all new hires), with stiff penalties for violators, an end to birthright citizenship, the practice of chain migration, and even an immigration moratorium can help balance the demographic integrity of the nation and preserve the European character of the United States.
Such proposals remain deeply controversial, facing strong opposition from business interests, civil society organizations, and politicians across the spectrum. Yet, for those who favor a sharp reversal from the trajectory set by the Hart-Celler Act 60 years ago, border security victories and incremental legal reforms will not suffice.
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