The Department of Homeland Security found more than 129,000 unaccompanied children that the Biden Administration lost track of during its four years in office. Then DHS reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office that Biden had shuttered, giving Americans harmed by illegal alien crime a voice in government again.
Secretary Kristi Noem announced the recoveries Thursday as part of DHS’s year-end report. The missing children represent the visible casualties of an immigration system the Trump administration is now rebuilding from the ground up.
The broader enforcement effort removed 2.5 million illegal aliens from the U.S. in President Trump’s first year back in office. That includes 622,000 deportations. Another 1.9 million chose to self-deport rather than face arrest.
Criminal Alien Removals
Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports 70% of those arrested are criminal illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S. DHS targeted them through operations named for their victims and their outcomes.
Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago arrested more than 4,500 illegal aliens. The operation honors Katie Abraham, killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run crash caused by a criminal illegal alien. Los Angeles saw over 10,000 arrests. Massachusetts Operations Patriot 1.0 and 2.0 resulted in over 2,860 arrests.
Portland’s Operation Black Rose arrested more than 1,240 illegal aliens. Florida’s Operation Criminal Return arrested more than 220 illegal aliens. Over 150 were sex offenders.
DHS secured more than 1,255 agreements with state and local law enforcement under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Operation Tidal Wave, the first coordinated 287(g) enforcement operation with state and federal partners, arrested 1,100 people in six days.
The department partnered with states to expand detention space by thousands. Florida built Alligator Alcatraz. Indiana opened the Speedway Slammer. Louisiana created Louisiana Lockup.
DHS launched wow.dhs.gov, allowing visitors to search hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens arrested since January. The database lets Americans see who was living in their communities before removal.
Border Security
Border crossings are down 93% year-over-year. Illegal alien apprehensions at the southwest border now average 245 per day. That compares to a monthly average of 155,485 during the Biden administration.
Customs and Border Protection released zero illegal aliens into the country for seven consecutive months from May through November. Total southwest border apprehensions reached 73,329 under Trump. That’s 53% less than the Biden monthly average.
Fiscal Year 2026 recorded the lowest start ever. October and November saw 60,940 total encounters nationwide. No prior fiscal year matched that low.
CBP seized 539,984 pounds of drugs. That’s a nearly 10% increase over 2024. Fentanyl trafficking at the southern border was cut by half.
CBP awarded more than $5 billion in new border wall contracts. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act funded the work. The agency also awarded a $37 billion acquisition vehicle to support construction.
The department deployed more than 130,000 feet of temporary barriers including concertina wire. CBP published 24 waivers to expedite construction by cutting bureaucratic red tape.
CBP hiring surged. Officer new hires increased 42.5% compared to last year. Border Patrol agent new hires jumped 84%.
Immigration System Reform
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services launched Operation Twin Shield in Minneapolis-St. Paul. The agency’s largest enforcement operation focused on more than 1,000 cases with fraud indicators. USCIS attempted over 2,000 site visits. Officers completed nearly 1,500 interviews.
USCIS found evidence of fraud, non-compliance, or security concerns in more than 500 cases. The operation led to benefit denials, numerous Notices to Appear, and nearly a dozen ICE arrests.
On November 26, an Afghan national murdered one National Guard member and severely wounded another. Within hours, USCIS halted asylum processing for aliens from every country. The agency implemented full reexamination of every Green Card for aliens from high-risk countries.
Since January 20, USCIS referred more than 14,400 aliens to ICE for public safety and national security concerns. That includes 182 confirmed or suspected national security risks. The agency’s enforcement collaboration resulted in more than 2,400 arrests at USCIS field offices.
USCIS officers issued approximately 196,600 Notices to Appear to place aliens in removal proceedings. Officers made over 29,000 fraud referrals. Investigations identified fraud in 65% of cases.
Secretary Noem ended Temporary Protected Status for 11 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. She issued orders for these foreign nationals to self-deport. DHS terminated the family reunification parole program. The Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parole programs ended.
USCIS revised the citizenship test in September. The question bank expanded from 100 to 128 questions. Each test now includes 20 questions instead of 10. The passing score rose from 6 to 12 correct responses.
Recruitment Surge
DHS launched the Defend the Homeland campaign to recruit Americans to join ICE. The agency received more than 220,000 applications. ICE is hiring 10,000 new officers by year end.
USCIS received more than 50,000 applications for Homeland Defenders. That’s the highest in agency history. Secret Service received over 91,000 applications. That’s a 46% increase over 2024.
The Coast Guard surpassed recruiting goals. The service hit 121% of its target for fiscal year 2025. That totaled 5,204 new members—the highest since 1991.
Coast Guard Operations
U.S. Coast Guard drug seizures are up 200% since January. The service seized nearly 470,000 pounds of cocaine. That’s enough to kill up to 177 million Americans.
Interdictions and deterrence events are up 120%. Operation Pacific Viper in the Eastern Pacific averaged approximately 1,600 pounds of cocaine interdicted daily.
USCGC Hamilton offloaded over 76,000 pounds of illegal drugs at Port Everglades. The haul was valued at $473 million. USCGC Stone offloaded approximately 49,010 pounds worth more than $362 million. That’s the largest amount seized by a single cutter in one patrol in Coast Guard history.
On December 2, USCGC Munro seized over 20,000 pounds in a single interdiction. That marked the largest at-sea interdiction since March 2007.
In July, catastrophic flooding hit the Texas Hill Country. Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan and his aircrew coordinated rescue of 169 people. In October, the Coast Guard launched Operation River Wall to secure approximately 260 miles of the Rio Grande River.
In August, the Coast Guard commissioned USCGC Storis. It’s the first polar icebreaker in over 25 years.
TSA Reforms
The Transportation Security Administration ended the Obama-era “Quiet Skies” program that surveilled Americans including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and members of Congress. TSA launched the “Shoes On” Campaign allowing travelers to keep shoes on at checkpoints. The agency implemented REAL ID on May 7 and reached 94% compliance.
TSA initiated historic hospitality training for the workforce. Wait times averaged 3 minutes for PreCheck and 5 to 6 minutes for standard screening during the 43-day shutdown.
Secret Service and CISA
Secret Service supported approximately 6,524 protective visits for 38 full-time protectees since January 20. The agency executed security plans for four National Special Security Events. The National Threat Assessment Center delivered more than 364 trainings to more than 56,713 participants—both the highest calendar year totals in NTAC history. Secret Service completed 21 anti-card skimming operations preventing an estimated $407 million in fraud loss.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency returned to protecting critical infrastructure after being used to censor Americans under Biden. CISA issued three emergency directives to mitigate vulnerabilities. The agency co-sealed 37 joint cybersecurity advisories. On August 1, CISA and FEMA announced over $100 million in cybersecurity grant funding for state, local, and tribal governments.
FEMA Overhaul
Federal Emergency Management Agency returned nearly $3.5 billion to American communities for emergency preparedness. The money had been trapped in programs rife with waste, fraud, and abuse.
Recipients are no longer permitted to use federal funds to house illegal aliens at luxury hotels. In February, Secretary Noem fired four FEMA workers who attempted to send $59 million to the Roosevelt Hotel for housing illegal aliens.
In July, flooding devastated parts of Texas. DHS and FEMA approved a major disaster declaration within hours. The agencies deployed staff within five hours. Urban Search and Rescue deployed within 24 hours. Coast Guard water rescue assets surged to the area, saving hundreds of lives. Governor Abbott called the response the fastest and most coordinated he has seen.
FEMA implemented Rapid Assessment with Public Infrastructure Data, using geospatial data instead of traditional site inspections. Processing time dropped from 396 days to 135 days. Some projects achieved permanent work obligations in as few as 47 days.
Trade and Tariff Revenue
CBP implemented 41 presidential actions on trade and assessed over $190.7 billion in tariff revenue. Total customs revenue reached $266.7 billion. The agency conducted 387 audits identifying $1.43 billion in trade revenue and collecting $225 million. CBP ended de minimis duty-free treatment on August 29, closing loopholes exploited for narcotics and contraband.
The department saved taxpayers more than $13.2 billion at DHS and returned key agencies to their core missions.
“In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history—and this Administration is just getting started,” Secretary Noem said. “We are making America safe again and putting the American people first.”
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