DHS Marks 15 Straight Months of Zero Border Releases as Apprehensions Plunge 94%

The Department of Homeland Security marked a new milestone Thursday: 15 straight months with zero releases at the southern border, as daily apprehensions plunged 94% compared to the Biden administration and fell to the lowest levels seen in three decades.

The streak, running since May 2025, means Border Patrol has not released a single illegal border crosser into the U.S. interior for well over a year. The practice known as "catch and release" -- which once saw more than 68,000 illegal aliens released into American communities in a single month under the previous administration -- is effectively dead.

A Streak Built on Enforcement

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited the administration's enforcement-first approach for the historic run.

"Again this month, the results are clear: President Trump's border security agenda is restoring order and putting the safety of the American people first," Mullin said in a statement. "DHS remains focused on enforcing our immigration laws, securing the border, and ensuring those who enter our country illegally are removed swiftly. Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, we have the most secure border in history."

The zero-release streak has been announced in stages: six months in November 2025, eight in February 2026, 11 in April, 12 in May, 13 in June, 14 in July, and now 15. Each monthly report has carried the same headline -- record-low crossings and an American interior protected from the chaos that defined the Biden era.

Numbers Not Seen in 30 Years

The scale of the collapse is difficult to overstate. Daily apprehensions at the border are down 94% versus the Biden administration's average and sit at the lowest level in 30 years. In April, Border Patrol recorded 8,943 southwest border apprehensions, 96% below the December 2023 peak, when agents were averaging 336 apprehensions per hour at the height of the crisis.

By comparison, the daily average in April was just 298 apprehensions. Fewer migrants were apprehended in an entire month than in a single hour during the worst of the Biden-era surge. Fiscal year-to-date totals are on track to be the lowest since 1967, with crossings running below the average monthly figure recorded in any year between 1992 and 2024.

"Zero releases" does not mean zero crossings. Agents are still making arrests every day. The difference is that those caught are now detained or returned instead of being processed into American communities to await years-long court dates. That distinction is the heart of the policy shift, and it is exactly what critics of the old system spent years demanding.

More Than Migrants: Seizures and Tariffs

The border operation is producing results well beyond immigration enforcement. Contraband seizures in July ran 26% higher than under the Biden administration, with authorities intercepting shipments of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana.

CBP has also become a key part of the administration's trade enforcement. In July alone, the agency flagged $23 billion in duties identified for collection, putting real money behind the president's tariff agenda and proving that border security and economic policy can work in tandem.

"Clear policy, strong enforcement, and dedicated frontline personnel are delivering results at our borders," CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said. "With the support of President Trump and Secretary Mullin, CBP is securing our nation against illegal crossings, dangerous individuals, and illicit drugs while keeping lawful trade and travel moving. These results show what is possible when border security is treated as a national priority."

Locking In the Gains

The administration is now moving to make these policies permanent. The House of Representatives last month advanced the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, legislation that would criminalize visa overstays, increase penalties for unlawful entry, require most illegal migrants to be detained or returned while their cases are pending, and tighten asylum eligibility and humanitarian parole.

The bill would also modernize border facilities, expand CBP staffing, and deploy more surveillance technology -- drones, radar systems, biometric screening, and DNA collection -- to keep the pressure on smugglers and cartels.

With the streak at 15 months and fiscal year 2026 on pace to record the fewest apprehensions since the 1960s, the administration's border policies have moved from campaign promise to measurable reality. The question now is whether Congress locks those policies into law -- and whether the American people hold onto the most secure border in the nation's history.