Vance Heads to Southern Border as Trump Touts Sharp Drop in Crossings: 'They Heard My Words'

Vice President JD Vance is heading to the southern border today, following a statement from President Donald Trump celebrating a dramatic decrease in border crossings. This comes as the administration steps up border security and interior enforcement against illegal immigration.

Vance will visit Eagle Pass, Texas, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The area was a key hotspot during the Biden administration's border crisis, which saw record-breaking numbers of crossings.

Trump has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign. On his first day back in office, he declared a national emergency at the border, redeployed the military, resumed construction of the border wall, and revoked Biden-era parole policies. Talk about hitting the ground running.

The administration’s measures have been sweeping. The Pentagon quickly sent troops to the region, while Guantánamo Bay began receiving flights of migrants. The Department of Homeland Security expanded expedited removal and ramped up interior enforcement, with daily arrests reportedly surpassing 1,000. The State Department also secured agreements with other countries to expedite the return of migrants.

These efforts are yielding results. February saw just 8,326 border encounters—an eye-popping drop from the 189,913 reported during the same month in 2024. Over 55,000 illegal immigrants have been removed from the U.S. since Trump took office.

Trump celebrated these numbers during a speech to Congress last night, declaring, "Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border and I deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they've done. As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded, ever." He added with characteristic bravado, "They heard my words, and they chose not to come." Love him or hate him, the man sure knows how to command a room.

In a jab at his critics, Trump dismissed claims from Democrats and the previous administration that border legislation was necessary to address the crisis. "But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president," he quipped, leaving no ambiguity about his thoughts on his predecessor's policies.

Meanwhile, a Border Patrol source reported just 271 encounters across the entire southern border on Tuesday, with only 14 in the Del Rio Sector, where Vance is set to tour. These numbers stand as a stark contrast to the chaos of recent years.