President Trump’s immigration policies have dramatically reshaped border operations, with El Paso serving as a critical focal point. Border Patrol agents report a near-total collapse in illegal crossings following sweeping executive actions, military deployments, and strict asylum restrictions.

## Collapse in Border Crossings
– in attempted crossings detected between February 2024 (176,195) and February 2025 (11,709), the lowest monthly total since the 1960s.
– in Border Patrol apprehensions along the Southwest border occurred in just 11 days after Trump’s January 20 emergency declaration.
– now patrol the border for every migrant apprehended, with active-duty troop levels nearing 9,600.

## Policy Changes Driving the Shift

– Immediate suspension of asylum processing at ports of entry, cancellation of all CBP One appointment slots (1,450/day under Biden), and summary deportations for unlawful entry.
– Migrants no longer allowed to wait in the U.S. for court dates under the revived “Remain in Mexico” policy.

– Army engineers and intelligence units deployed to lay concertina wire, monitor remote areas, and support detention logistics.
– ICE authorized to conduct raids at schools, hospitals, and churches — locations previously off-limits.

– Humanitarian parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans terminated, stranding thousands in Mexico.
– Smuggling fees reportedly doubled or tripled as cartels adjust to heightened enforcement.

## El Paso’s New Reality
– Once the busiest sector, El Paso now averages (25% of all crossings), down from over 70,000 monthly peaks in 2023.
– stranded in Ciudad Juárez face dwindling options, with Mexican authorities refusing to accept third-country deportees.
– Border Patrol shuttered processing tents in Laredo and Donna, Texas, consolidating operations to El Paso and San Diego facilities.

While critics warn of long-term risks — including migrants taking deadlier desert routes and legal challenges to Trump’s “invasion” declaration — frontline agents report restored operational control. The administration credits a “law and order” approach, noting a in daily “gotaways” compared to 2024.