White House Touts Border Numbers: 16 Months of 'Zero Releases,' Illegal Crossings at Record Low
WASHINGTON — The White House announced on October 12 that U.S. border enforcement has recorded 16 consecutive months of "zero releases," with illegal crossings down to the lowest level on record, presenting the figures as a signature result of the administration's border policy.
In White House usage, "releases" refers to the practice of freeing detained migrants into the U.S. interior while they await immigration court hearings — widely known as "catch-and-release" — which in past years was used at scale when border facilities were overwhelmed. The White House says that number has now been zero for 16 straight months. It paired the claim with border "encounters" data compiled monthly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), describing crossings as being at a record low. CBP's monthly statistics are the official benchmark for border flows and are published on a regular schedule.
The border has been central to President Donald Trump's political agenda. During the 2024 campaign he pledged to reverse the situation under his predecessor: under President Joe Biden, southwest border encounters repeatedly hit record highs in 2023 and 2024, and large-scale parole releases drew criticism from both parties. After returning to office in January 2025, Trump moved quickly to tighten enforcement — expanding deportation operations, restoring rapid-removal mechanisms, narrowing asylum processing at ports of entry, and pressing Mexico to step up interdiction on its side.
The White House released the numbers as the midterm political calendar advances, drawing a direct contrast with the previous administration's border record. It should be noted that "zero releases" and "record low" are the White House's own characterizations; how they map onto CBP's full monthly statistics will be borne out by the agency's subsequent data releases.
Source: Compiled from the White House's official October 12, 2026 announcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection border statistics.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国边境巡逻队在亚利桑那州边境围栏一带执勤，美国海关与边境保护局照片，公有领域（Wikimedia Commons）
