Five ways Trump has changed immigration in the US

Donald Trump has reshaped American immigration policy on a scale few dispute, and the results will weigh on voters in the midterm elections, which many see as a verdict on his presidency. Even some supporters of tougher rules worry the crackdown has overreached, according to BBC.

At the southern border, crossings that topped 4.5 million recorded encounters across 2023 and 2024 have dwindled sharply. The administration credits limits on asylum, an end to releasing detainees into the country, troop deployments and pressure on Mexico. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on 16 October that the figures show enforcement works. Wall construction has also accelerated, aided by $46.5bn from Congress. Government figures list 250 newly completed miles, with 1,443 more underway. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council says crossings have not meaningfully changed since building began, attributing the decline to Trump's policies and messaging. Trump nonetheless insists Mexico paid for the barrier.

Farther inside the country, ICE arrests hit a record of nearly 50,000 in July, per the Deportation Data Project. Only 27% of those detained that month had criminal histories, an all-time low. By mid-July, ICE was removing 1,255 people daily, versus about 770 late in Joe Biden's term.

Summarized by PolitiKool from BBC’s reporting. Read the full story at BBC →