Vance Tours Southern Border to Showcase Decline in Illegal Crossings

EAGLE PASS, Texas—On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance visited Shelby Park at the border with Mexico to highlight the significant decline in illegal immigration during the Trump administration.

Standing at the municipal park—identified as a central point for illegal immigration in Texas—Vance remarked that the nation witnessed millions of unauthorized entries and a historic rise in crimes committed by individuals remaining unlawfully in the country under the Biden administration.

Last year, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott took control of the park from federal agencies after a clash with the Biden administration, which had seen thousands of unauthorized immigrants processed there by federal officials.

“The positive news is, as President [Donald] Trump mentioned last night during the State of the Union, we didn’t require new laws or elaborate legislation. All we needed was a change in the presidency, and thankfully, that’s what we have now,” Vance stated.

A key part of Trump’s approach has focused on increasing the arrests of individuals illegally residing in the U.S. while halting programs that granted temporary stay permissions. Completing the wall along the southern border, initiated in his first term, has also been a priority, with Vance indicating that the president aims to finish the wall by the end of his tenure. Additionally, border czar Tom Homan has emphasized the importance of capturing and deporting criminal illegal immigrants or those facing deportation orders.

According to the White House, Vance was expected to examine the border, visit a detention center, and participate in a roundtable discussion with local, state, and federal officials.

Joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Vance discussed the relationship between border security and national security.

Gabbard expressed concerns about the border crisis potentially facilitating the entry of terrorists into the nation, noting that some of the strategies employed by Islamist terrorists were now being adopted by Mexican cartels.

Recently, the State Department classified several Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists, including the Sinaloa, Gulf, United, Northeast, Jalisco New Generation cartels, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana.

Additionally, the La Mara Salvatrucha gang, commonly known as MS-13, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua have also been designated as terrorist groups.

Gabbard stated that Trump’s national security team was collaborating to “ensure a safe, free, and prosperous society for Americans.”

According to her, approximately 4,000 illegal immigrants utilized an ISIS-affiliated network to cross the border during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

She further noted that over 100 suspected terrorists were captured in 2024, with only eight either deported or still in custody; the remaining were released into the country.

Vance highlighted that the cartels’ use of advanced drone technology necessitated a military response.

“The Defense Department has assets we can deploy, including troops, surveillance, equipment, and operational planning capabilities that can enhance Border Patrol’s efforts,” Hegseth emphasized.

Hegseth reported that illegal crossings at the southern border have decreased by 98 percent; however, “complete operational control” has not yet been achieved.

The number of arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico fell before Trump’s presidency when the Biden administration reinstated some of the former executive’s border policies. The Trump administration has been using military aircraft to deport illegal immigrants, sending the most dangerous individuals to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Recently, Hegseth authorized the deployment of a significant segment of an Army Stryker brigade and a general support aviation battalion to the border. Approximately 3,000 troops are expected to be deployed in the coming weeks.

These troops will focus on detection and monitoring along the border without directly interacting with migrants attempting to cross illegally, instead alerting border agents who will then handle custody.

When addressing reporters, Vance reassured that the United States is not planning an “invasion of Mexico” to counter the cartels.

Vance stressed that Mexico’s government must exhibit a “sustained commitment” to curb fentanyl smuggling into the U.S. to prevent tariffs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.