Two Borders, One Day: From Arizona to North Dakota, Secretary Kristi Noem Joins National Security Leaders to Commemorate Historic Decline in Border Crossings

 Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and decisive action, the U.S. Southern border continues to be the most secure in history, with 9 straight months of 0 releases 

WASHINGTON — On February 4, 2026, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem joined federal, state, and local leaders at our southern and northern borders in Arizona and North Dakota to announce continued success on border security.

Preliminary data from January shows U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to clean up the mess created by Joe Biden’s reckless open border policies: last month, 42% fewer illegal aliens were apprehended at the southern border per day than in a single hour during the height of the previous administration (336 per hour in December 2023). This is just a mere fraction of the multiple records CBP has set for border enforcement since the beginning of the Trump administration, including the lowest encounter totals in agency history during 2025.

“For four long years before President Trump, we saw what it was like when people put men above our laws. We saw how people were victimized, hurt, and abused, and Americans didn't want to live like that anymore," said Secretary Kristi Noem. “When they elected President Trump, they chose someone who recognized that a country with no border is no country at all. With President Trump, and all of the great law enforcement officers across the country who do their work every day, we've got a promise of a bright future, and a promise of an amazing country for years to come.”

Speaking at the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona, Secretary Noem joined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, United States Border Patrol (USBP) Chief Michael Banks, and National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) President Paul Perez, to applaud the exceptional work ethic and dedication of CBP, ICE, and other officials who have been indispensable to this year’s historic success at the border.

DHS and CBP recently announced other historic numbers on the border from the month of January, including:

• The ninth consecutive month in which the U.S. Border Patrol released zero illegal aliens into the country.
• The fourth consecutive month of decline in Southwest border apprehensions, with 6,073 - 93% lower than the monthly average observed over the last 33 years.
• The lowest number of nationwide encounters ever for a month of January, with 34,631 encounters - 87% lower than the monthly average under the previous administration.

Secretary Noem and ICE Director Lyons also met with law enforcement agencies and local representatives from North Dakota – including Mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota Brandon Bochenski and Grand Forks County Sheriff Andrew Schneider – during a Northern Border Round Table at the Grand Forks, North Dakota Air Force Base, where they discussed DHS’s commitment to collaborate with local partners to strengthen Northern Border Operations utilizing new, cutting edge technologies.

The U.S./Canada border is the longest border in the world, spanning 5,525 miles, 13 U.S. States, and eight Canadian Provinces/Territories. Under President Trump, Secretary Noem is committed to providing our regional partners with the resources they need to better protect this vital gateway, including the full replacement of USBP’s drone fleet, following the acquisition and deployment of 300 small, unmanned aircraft systems in FY25.

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