DHS Reports Zero Illegal Border Releases for 16 Months

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that zero illegal immigrants have been released into the United States at the southern border for 16 consecutive months. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that the end of catch and release policies has driven illegal crossings to historic lows, with daily apprehensions down 94 percent compared to the average during the Joe Biden administration.

In August 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehended 8,870 people along the southwest border, representing a 5 percent decrease from July. While migrant releases have ceased, drug interdictions have risen. Fiscal year drug seizures are 61 percent higher than the previous four-year average, including the seizure of 6,724 pounds of cocaine and 773 pounds of fentanyl in August alone. Additionally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 51,000 illegal aliens during the same month.

Enforcement efforts have expanded to include the construction of a border wall in a desert area of the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation to block cartel activity. Paul Perez, President of the National Border Patrol Council, noted that while drone and counter-drone technology is being deployed to counter cartels, further work is required to codify current border changes.