Chicago City Wire

Steve Cortes, president of the League of American Workers (LAW) said that cities like Chicago are finally “feeling the impact of real border enforcement,” as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said border arrests are the lowest level since 1970.

“Cities like Chicago are finally feeling the impact of real border enforcement,” said Cortes. “This is what happens when a president takes the law seriously. The historic drop in crossings is no coincidence — it’s the result of leadership and follow-through. President Trump said he’d secure the border, and now the numbers prove he has.”

In Fiscal Year 2025, the Department of Homeland Security reported 237,565 Southwest border apprehensions—the lowest since Fiscal Year 1970. That figure is 87 percent below the four-year average of 1.86 million. DHS called the 55-year low “a testament” to restored border control under the Trump Administration.

Of the 237,565 total apprehensions in FY 2025, 172,026—or 72 percent—occurred during the first 111 days under the Biden Administration. Just 27 percent (65,539) were recorded during the remaining 254 days under the current administration, highlighting a dramatic post-transition drop.

In September 2025, the Southwest border saw an average of just 279 apprehensions per day. DHS noted that was fewer apprehensions in an entire day than were previously recorded in just two hours under the prior administration’s average daily total of 5,110 from February 2021 through December 2024.

Steve Cortes is President of the League of American Workers, a national organization focused on U.S. labor, economic, and immigration policy. A former Trump campaign advisor, Cortes frequently comments on border enforcement and workforce security issues.