Tom Homan says a three-day inspection of the southern border shows dramatic results: virtually no illegal crossings, steep declines in encounters, and stronger enforcement under the Trump administration’s direction, with specific claims about drops in trafficking and increased Border Patrol vigilance.
Tom Homan, the Border Czar, has been moving quickly to reduce illegal border crossings since his appointment by President Donald Trump. He reports large-scale repatriations and a major reduction in illegal entries, and he shared those observations after a recent border review that covered San Diego, Arizona, and Texas. His account is blunt and framed around measured outcomes: fewer crossings, less fentanyl flow, and tighter control on people who would do harm.
Homan told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that he conducted an on-the-ground assessment by air, by sea, and on the ground. The review lasted three days and spanned multiple sectors along the border, giving him a direct look at patrol operations and crossing points. He emphasized that the current posture reflects changes made since the previous administration.
Note that this review has not even been in place a full year, yet Homan says the impact has been immediate and measurable. He described touring the border across different terrains and seeing a level of operational control he calls unprecedented. That kind of confidence from a career enforcement officer is a strong endorsement of the policies now being executed.
Speaking about what he observed, Homan offered a striking, personal account of the conditions he saw during the three-day sweep. His experience goes back decades, which he uses to contrast past chaos with what he now calls control. The emphasis is on deterrence and on removing the incentives and opportunities that previously drove mass crossings.
He said:
Unprecedented, nothing like this in the history of the county. Look, we got the most secure border in the history of this nation. The most secure ever. And that’s based on real data. I just came back… I just did a border review in San Diego, Texas, and Arizona. I toured the border by air, by boat, and by 4-wheel drive. Three days on the southern border, Maria, I didn’t see a single illegal alien. And I’ve been doing this since 1984, even back when I was in back in Border Patrol. Three days without a single illegal alien in my sight. It’s the most secure border ever, and by doing that, as you said, it’s down 95 percent. How many aliens aren’t dying now, making that journey? How many pounds of fentanyl aren’t getting in, killing Americans? How many known, suspected terrorists are not crossing that border because the Border Patrol is 100 percent vigilant, on that line, stopping all the entries. It’s incredible. Never seen anything like it in my 40-year career.
The results Homan cites include a reported 95 percent decline in crossings compared with the recent past, a stat he ties directly to enforcement changes and the removal of previous policies that encouraged illegal entry. Those numbers, if sustained, represent a sharp reversal from the chaos many communities saw under the prior administration. From a Republican standpoint, this is exactly what firm executive action and clear enforcement priorities are supposed to deliver.
There are still long-term challenges to address, including millions estimated to be in the country illegally and the hard cases who will not simply self-deport. Homan notes that many who took voluntary departure did so for monetary incentives and a flight home, not necessarily the criminal elements that pose the greatest public-safety threats. Law enforcement will need to continue targeted removals and prosecutions of those who came to traffic drugs or commit violent crimes.
Local policies in sanctuary jurisdictions complicate enforcement by creating pockets where federal agents have less cooperation and fewer tools for removal. That friction matters because fugitives and known criminals can exploit those gaps to evade arrest. Addressing these enforcement gaps requires coordination between federal actors and willing state and local partners.
Border security also has a human dimension that Homan emphasizes: fewer crossings mean fewer deaths on the journey and less chance for fentanyl to flow into American communities. The administration’s focus on turning back illegal flows aims to reduce both human tragedy and the public-health crisis tied to drug smuggling. From his description, the goal is simple: stop the illegal pathways and restore legal avenues for immigration.
Policy changes under this administration are intended to be durable, not temporary, and supporters argue those changes will preserve national sovereignty by enforcing existing laws. That involves continued detention, repatriation, and stronger border presence rather than new, uncertain legislation. The approach is to use executive and enforcement tools to secure the line now and sustain that security going forward.
There will be critics who question claims of total success or point to remaining numbers of undocumented people already in the country. Still, Homan’s firsthand report is a clear, assertive affirmation that recent enforcement strategies are producing immediate changes at the border. Those changes will be judged over time by continued declines in illegal crossings, reductions in contraband flows, and successful removals of dangerous individuals.
Add comment