DHS Hails 'Most Secure Border' as Nearly 3 Million Undocumented Immigrants Leave the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday released a statement lauding what it described as "historic progress" under President Donald Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem, saying nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants have left the United States over the past 13 months and calling the current border "the most secure in American history." The announcement coincided with the president's State of the Union address.

What DHS Reported

In the statement, DHS credited administration policies with producing record-low border crossings, expanded immigration enforcement and billions in taxpayer savings. Secretary Noem said the departures include an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and more than 713,000 formal deportations.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said nearly 3 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. over the past 13 months under the Trump administration.

"Over the last 13 months, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration," the statement said.

Enforcement Actions and Arrests

DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and removed more than 1,500 known or suspected terrorists over the past year. Nationwide operations also led to nearly 8,000 gang-related arrests, including individuals tied to Tren de Aragua and MS-13. The department launched a public web page called "Worst of the Worst" to track criminal noncitizens apprehended during federal enforcement operations.

Drug Seizures and the Coast Guard

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a rise in drug interdictions, seizing 617,648 pounds of illicit drugs nationwide in the past 12 months — an 8% increase over the previous year. The U.S. Coast Guard separately said it seized about 550,000 pounds of illegal narcotics valued at more than $3.9 billion through counter-drug operations and estimated it prevented more than 206 million lethal doses from reaching U.S. communities.

DHS says border crossings have reached record lows under President Trump’s second term.

Missing Children Located

DHS said it and the Department of Health and Human Services located roughly 145,000 unaccompanied children who had been listed as missing under the prior administration. The department asserted that many of those children had been exploited or abused before, during, or after being trafficked across the border.

Political Context and Funding Dispute

The release echoed remarks by President Trump during the State of the Union address, blaming Senate Democrats for a partial government shutdown that cut DHS funding. DHS criticized lawmakers for depriving its personnel of paychecks and said the funding lapse endangered the livelihoods of the department's workforce.

"Despite our historic successes, Democrat politicians on Capitol Hill have shut down DHS, depriving many of our brave men and women who protect our national security of their paychecks," the department said.

The White House called for an immediate restoration of DHS funding and reiterated demands for strengthened border protections. The DHS release also referenced "Operation Metro Surge," which Rep. Tom Emmer said located 3,000 missing migrant children in Minneapolis.

Note: This article summarizes claims made by DHS and the administration. The figures and characterizations reflect the department's statements and have not been independently verified in this piece.