Trump's Border Breakthrough Could Pave Way for Lasting Immigration Reform

 

While it has flown largely under the media radar, former President Donald Trump has already achieved one of his signature goals: regaining control over the U.S.-Mexico border. With the numbers telling a striking story of decline in illegal crossings, Trump now stands at a pivotal moment. If he wants to be remembered for more than tough talk and executive actions, he has a chance to leave behind a truly transformative legacy by spearheading comprehensive immigration reform.

 

Recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveal a dramatic shift. In March, only 7,181 individuals were apprehended attempting to cross the southwest land border illegally, and another 3,836 arrived at ports of entry. That’s a total of 11,017 “encounters.” Just a year earlier, in March 2024, that number stood at a staggering 189,359. In fact, the current figures are even lower than those recorded during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

This swift turnaround is no coincidence. Border crossings spiked after President Joe Biden rolled back Trump-era policies early in his term. But political fallout, especially during the 2024 election cycle, forced Biden to reintroduce some enforcement measures last June. As the numbers began to drop, it became clear that Trump’s assertion—that strong messaging from the White House can deter illegal immigration—was not just rhetoric. Would-be migrants appeared to be watching the U.S. political landscape closely.

 

 

Just two days after the 2024 election, Reuters reported that a migrant caravan in Mexico had halved in size. “I had hoped [Kamala Harris] would win, but that didn’t happen,” a Venezuelan woman told the news agency. That same ripple effect has been felt across the U.S. In New York City, officials announced that the Roosevelt Hotel, once an intake center for over 173,000 migrants, would stop being used for that purpose by June. The outcry from Democratic mayors, once overwhelmed by migrant influxes, has gone conspicuously silent since Biden’s departure.

 

What’s even more remarkable is that Trump didn’t need harsh crackdowns to stem the tide. In February, border encounters totaled 11,709, and the drop came before the administration’s recent diplomatic push in El Salvador. Trump’s key strategy has been deterrence: a clear message that those arriving illegally will not be allowed to stay. He worked with Mexico to increase cooperation, deployed troops to assist with border fortifications, but the numbers dropped even without the much-discussed wall.

 

Despite this success, Trump has been relatively quiet in taking credit. Instead, he has continued pushing for deportations, especially of criminals and gang members—actions that are generally popular. However, enthusiasm wanes when enforcement begins to affect families or skips due process.

 

Now comes the real test: can Trump translate this momentum into broader immigration reform? The flaws in America’s system are not new. The threshold for claiming asylum is low, immigration court backlogs are severe, and there’s a shortage of judges and detention facilities. Some of these issues could be tackled in a budget bill, but meaningful reform would require bipartisan support in the Senate.

 

Such reform should also include expanding legal immigration. As the economy grows, the demand for labor remains unmet. Around half of small businesses report worker shortages. If Trump wants more American-grown produce, someone still needs to pick it.

 

There’s also the unresolved issue of Dreamers—those brought to the U.S. as children. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 64% of Republicans and 82% of independents support giving Dreamers a path to citizenship. And if the U.S. wants to lead in AI and tech, why are H-1B visas for skilled workers capped and distributed by lottery?

 

Trump appears to recognize the value of legal labor migration. Just last week, he floated the idea of allowing immigrants who self-deport to return as legal workers. While trust in the government remains a hurdle, the policy itself signals a pragmatic shift.

 

Immigration has been a politically toxic issue for years. But Trump’s success at the border presents a rare opening. If he seizes this opportunity, he could redefine his legacy—not just as a president who secured the border, but as one who fixed the immigration system for good. It's a chance worth taking.

 

Adpated by ASEAN Now from WSJ  2025-04-21

 

 

The what's left of the free world wishes you all a Happy Easter🤔

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

former President Donald Trump

Shirley some mistake?

Time to rejoice?

Gee, another article from the Murdoch Media.    

Just goes to show what can be achieved with a strong leader with a clear goal and the mandate of the people.  

 

America is back. 

10 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Just goes to show what can be achieved with a strong leader with a clear goal and the mandate of the people.  

 

America is back. 

 

 

Maybe if Congress had passed Biden's comprehensive immigration reform or border security funding during his term, instead of playing politics and dancing to Trump's tune. all of this would have been achieved years ago.

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Maybe if Congress had passed Biden's comprehensive immigration reform or border security funding during his term, instead of playing politics and dancing to Trump's tune. all of this would have been achieved years ago.

 

Maybe if anyone believed Biden was serious and not paying lip service to the issue in an attempt to win the election, they would have. 

13 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Just goes to show what can be achieved with a strong leader with a clear goal and the mandate of the people.  

 

America is back. 

There is strong evidence in history that authoritarian rule can be most effective ... in the short run. In the USA, I will not say impossible but the history of social uprising suggests against the trump, Project 2025 ilk direction.

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

 

Maybe if anyone believed Biden was serious and not paying lip service to the issue in an attempt to win the election, they would have. 

 

The bill’s failure was influenced by opposition from former President Donald Trump, who urged Republicans to reject the deal to maintain immigration as a campaign issue. 

 

Playing politics....a bipartisan bill voted down by the Republicans at Trump's behest.......disgusting.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Wrwest said:

There is strong evidence in history that authoritarian rule can be most effective ... in the short run. In the USA, I will not say impossible but the history of social uprising suggests against the trump, Project 2025 ilk direction.

 

You mean Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, Mussolini, Gaddafi, Hussain, Ceaușescu, Amin.....people like that?

34 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Just goes to show what can be achieved with a strong leader with a clear goal and the mandate of the people.  

 

America is back. 

Trump's margin of victory less than 1.5% of popular votes. Smallest in modern history. Or what Fox calls "a LANDSLIDE" huge mandate. 

 

6 hours ago, JAG said:

His work is far from done - there are still too many brown people in the US!

 

The"Wogfinder General Honan" and his black clad goons have several years of roaming the streets snatching people ahead of them!

What colors should America have? The reason I'm asking is that, when I was there last November-December, I noticed many brown people in the south Texas area, along with blacks, light browns, chocolate browns, off yellows, reds, off whites and few other color variations. If you think we should go about removing some of these browns you think don't belong, I could call my uncle Tony in New Jersey and make him an offer he couldn't refuse. That is, if you had enough cash to feed his bottomless pockets. I think there are quite a few areas in the Meadowlands we could still find.

53 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Just goes to show what can be achieved with a strong leader with a clear goal and the mandate of the people.  

 

America is back. 

Thanks as a foreign citizen non American perhaps it’s hard for you to understand that things aren’t done by lying invoking archaic laws that really aren’t appropriate for this issue deporting people off the streets without due process sending them to a foreign supermax please excuse us normal Americans that see this as something that we learned about in history kinda like the Nazi regime did.

Don't get it why would he reject these people? They are Americans, just as the Gulf.

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Just goes to show what can be achieved with a strong leader with a clear goal and the mandate of the people.  

 

America is back. 

Yep, just as Germany in 1933.

26 minutes ago, Tug said:

Thanks as a foreign citizen non American perhaps it’s hard for you to understand that things aren’t done by lying invoking archaic laws that really aren’t appropriate for this issue deporting people off the streets without due process sending them to a foreign supermax please excuse us normal Americans that see this as something that we learned about in history kinda like the Nazi regime did.

 

It was normal Americans who voted him in. 

10 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

It was normal Americans who voted him in. 

Yup, ding a lings wearing MAGA hats and possessing few teeth.

”I love the poorly educated “ said Trump.

Now, you mentioned “normal Americans “.

Is my aforementioned description of Trump voters close?

 I think it is!

5 minutes ago, Red Forever said:

Yup, ding a lings wearing MAGA hats and possessing few teeth.

”I love the poorly educated “ said Trump.

Now, you mentioned “normal Americans “.

Is my aforementioned description of Trump voters close?

 I think it is!

 

 

If sharks were MAGA fans.......

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

Despite this success, Trump has been relatively quiet in taking credit.

Well, that's a novelty at least!

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

It was normal Americans who voted him in. 

 

Normal in your world.
 

1 hour ago, amexpat said:

Trump's margin of victory less than 1.5% of popular votes. Smallest in modern history. Or what Fox calls "a LANDSLIDE" huge mandate. 

 

I don't understand why anyone is still trotting this stuff out.  Trump won the election fair and square, in accordance with the standard Electoral College process.  Who cares what the margin was?  It doesn't matter in any way whatsoever.  Like him or not, he won.  Get over it.  If you are a Dem, that's okay with me, but best help the Dems put together a decent agenda for the Dems to campaign for at next election and to put up a candidate that's capable of winning; both of these things the Dems totally failed to do at the last election.

MAGA

3 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

Normal in your world.
 

 

Thanks. 

 

I do indeed consider protecting borders, acknowledging biological sex and protecting women from cross dressing men to be normal.

 

I don't wish to inhabit your imagined debauched utopia. 

 

 

 

In case anyone noticed. Not only is Trump being quiet about this. But the Dems and Trump haters are ignoring it, For every win Trump makes it will be one less gripe the haters and Dems throw around. I look forward to seeing a lot more positive things coming from Trumps actions in the future as well as seeing the Dems and haters shutting the heck up. 

8 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Maybe if Congress had passed Biden's comprehensive immigration reform or border security funding during his term, instead of playing politics and dancing to Trump's tune. all of this would have been achieved years ago.

Did you actually read this uncomprehensive immigration reform Bide put forth?  No you didn't.  The law are already there.  Just follow them.

There are two massive issues looming that very few people want to talk about, much less people within the administration.

 

Number one is that America needs cheap labor, especially if the Trump fantasy of bringing manufacturing back to the US has any chances whatsoever. So where is that cheap labor going to come from, it's not going to come from within, as Americans do not want to do those jobs.

 

Number two is the reform of the legal immigration system, specifically the antiquated quota system so that we can retain the best and the brightest from all over the world once they graduate from our universities. As it stands now it's very difficult to get a visa to work in the US as the quota system is very out of date and way too low for many professions. 

 

So if someone who graduates at the top of their class in MIT, they cannot get a visa to work for a high-tech company and they end up working for that same high-tech company either in Brazil, or they go to work for a different company in Europe or elsewhere. That is called a brain drain, something that's infinitely too sophisticated for Trump and his band of goons to comprehend. 

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There are two massive issues looming that very few people want to talk about, much less people within the administration.

 

Number one is that America needs cheap labor, especially if the Trump fantasy of bringing manufacturing back to the US has any chances whatsoever. So where is that cheap labor going to come from, it's not going to come from within, as Americans do not want to do those jobs.

 

Number two is the reform of the legal immigration system, specifically the antiquated quota system so that we can retain the best and the brightest from all over the world once they graduate from our universities. As it stands now it's very difficult to get a visa to work in the US as the quota system is very out of date and way too low for many professions. 

 

So if someone who graduates at the top of their class in MIT, they cannot get a visa to work for a high-tech company and they end up working for that same high-tech company either in Brazil, or they go to work for a different company in Europe or elsewhere. That is called a brain drain, something that's infinitely too sophisticated for Trump and his band of goons to comprehend. 

We also could stop selling desks to foreigners that have no intention of staying and paying premiums. We don't need to educate the Chinese to basically go home and reverse engineer everything to their advantage. 

 

Limit the amount of seats to those that are vetted and candidates for citizenship. 

Maybe we don't want the guy chanting death to Israel in our nuclear physics classes to begin with.

11 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

We also could stop selling desks to foreigners that have no intention of staying and paying premiums. We don't need to educate the Chinese to basically go home and reverse engineer everything to their advantage. 

 

Limit the amount of seats to those that are vetted and candidates for citizenship. 

Maybe we don't want the guy chanting death to Israel in our nuclear physics classes to begin with.

Talk about avoiding a rational discussion of the topic. Very typical of his supporters. 

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Talk about avoiding a rational discussion of the topic. Very typical of his supporters. 

Why educate people, that ultimately might be your foes? So Harvard can make bank? Do you think China would give all their STEM advancements to us if the shoe was on the other foot? It's basically national security at this point.

 

I didn't vote for Trump.

20 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

You mean Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, Mussolini, Gaddafi, Hussain, Ceaușescu, Amin.....people like that?

Yes, and short run in the historical meaning.