WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) issued the following statement on U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) February 2025 border encounter data, which includes President Donald Trump’s first full month in office. Last month, the “Trump Effect” continued at our borders as apprehensions between ports of entry at the Southwest border continued to plunge to new lows. Southwest border apprehensions (8,347)decreased 94% last month compared to February 2024 and 71% compared to January 2025:
 
“If one thing is clear for all Americans today, it is that the Biden-Harris border crisis was always by design. Secretary Mayorkas and President Biden claimed for years that they were confronted by an unprecedented migration crisis that overwhelmed the system and needed Congress to fix it. They wanted us all to believe they were doing everything they could to stem the influx at our borders but didn’t have the resources or laws to do so. It turns out, they didn’t need either. The numbers don’t lie; President Trump, Border Czar Homan, and Secretary Noem have reversed the chaos at our borders in less than two months by simply enforcing the laws on the books, empowering our federal law enforcement to execute their missions, and rescinding unlawful open-borders policies, such as mass parole and catch-and-release.
 
“This victory at our borders makes the past four years even more of a tragedy. The Biden administration tied the hands of our Border Patrol agents and ICE officers, allowing millions of poorly vetted inadmissible aliens, including gang members, human traffickers, and suspected terrorists, to enter our communities. Tragically, Jocelyn Nungaray, Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, Kayla Hamilton, and numerous other innocent Americans paid the price with their lives. When President Trump honored them in his joint address last week, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle chose to sit by silently––just as they did for the entire border crisis.
 
“I look forward to working with the Trump administration and House leadership to continue providing the tools DHS needs to secure the homeland and clean up the unmitigated disaster of the last four years.”
 

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