Biden-era chaos replaced by strong leadership as Trump administration prioritizes national security and American jobs
The Trump administration is taking bold action to restore law and order, as interior immigration arrests now outpace detentions at the U.S. southern border, signaling a dramatic shift in enforcement priorities.
According to fresh numbers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 11,367 illegal immigrants were arrested inside the U.S. in May—nearly five times the number caught by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the border. In stark contrast, just one year ago, CBP was making the majority of arrests.
This reversal reflects President Trump’s no-nonsense approach to illegal immigration, reversing years of open-border policies that flooded the country with unchecked migrants under Democrat leadership.
Stephen Miller, the architect behind Trump’s successful border policy, is reportedly urging Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to triple daily ICE arrests—a clear move to crack down on those who slipped through the cracks under previous administrations.
“The first thing Biden did was open the border and undo Trump’s enforcement. It was an open invitation to chaos,” said Scott Mechkowski, retired ICE Deputy Field Director. “But now, we’re seeing results. Trump’s policies are finally being restored, and they work.”
Illegal border crossings have dropped sharply since Trump’s return to the White House in January. In contrast, ICE—backed by federal agencies like the DEA and FBI—is leading the charge on interior enforcement, locating and detaining those already residing illegally in American communities.
But there’s a looming challenge: ICE is operating over capacity.
As of May 23, ICE was holding nearly 49,000 illegal immigrants, even though Congress only funded 47,000 detention beds. Meanwhile, more than 7 million migrants remain on ICE’s non-detained docket, awaiting further action.
To fix this, House Republicans are pushing a budget that allocates billions in new funding—including money for more detention facilities and ICE agents.
“Texas is leading the nation in detentions,” said immigration researcher Austin Kocher. “The big shift is that most arrests are now from ICE—not the border. That’s a major change.”
To meet enforcement demands, ICE’s private-sector partners—GEO Group and CoreCivic—are planning new and expanded detention centers. But they need funding from Congress to get it done.
“ICE needs 100,000 to 150,000 beds,” Mechkowski added. “They probably won’t get it all—but they should. We can’t protect American families if we don’t have space to hold those breaking our laws.”
With President Trump back in charge, the message is clear: America is no longer open to lawless immigration. The administration is focused on enforcing the law, protecting American jobs, securing the border, and holding illegal immigrants accountable—no exceptions, no excuses.