In a significant development for US border security, illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border have plummeted to their lowest levels in over half a century, according to federal data obtained by CBS News. During the 2025 fiscal year, which included four months under former President Joe Biden’s administration, US Border Patrol agents apprehended 238,000 migrants attempting to cross the southern border illegally. This marks the lowest number of apprehensions since 1970, when 202,000 unlawful crossings were recorded. Jennie Murray, president of the National Immigration Forum, hailed the figures as evidence of progress in border security, urging bipartisan efforts to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. Preliminary data indicates that over half of these apprehensions occurred in the first three months of the fiscal year, spanning October 2024 to September 2025. The figures reflect the number of times border officials intercepted and processed migrants attempting illegal entry, including repeat offenders. During Biden’s four-year presidency, US Customs and Border Patrol recorded approximately 11 million border encounters. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson attributed the decline to President Trump’s policies, stating that his administration has successfully curbed unchecked illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trump’s executive orders, including deploying additional troops to the border, ending asylum requests, and expanding ICE’s enforcement capabilities, have been pivotal in achieving these results. The president has also intensified immigration enforcement through raids in major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago and has vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants during his tenure.