With President Donald Trump's administration marking its 100th day in office, it cannot be overstated that it has transformed the US southern border from a porous gateway to a reinforcement barrier, introducing the promise of a central campaign with unprecedented speed and resolution.
The Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly argued that securing borders requires comprehensive Congressional conduct. This is a slow, bureaucratic process embedded in partisan gridlocks. But Trump's decisive enforcement actions proved they were wrong, cutting illegal border crossings by a staggering 95% and regaining law and order to the frontier after being overrun by chaos.
From day one, Trump has declared a national emergency on his southern border, showing an unwavering commitment to end the invasion of illegal aliens who have strained communities, burdened taxpayers and violated public safety. Within a few weeks, daily encounters at the Southwest Border Port of Entry plummeted, compared to Biden's last week.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melgin said in the harsh reality: This quick turnaround was achieved through an executive order that repurposed a CBP single app (a Biden-era tool that promoted over a million illegal entries), rather than a legislative hugging, reinstating a “stay in Mexico” policy and ending catch-and-release practices.
At the heart of Trump's success is his administration's aggressive deportation campaign, which prioritizes eliminating criminal foreigners and dismantling the grips of violent foreign gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. In the first 50 days alone, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 32,809 illegal immigrants, nearly 75% of whom were criminals charged or convicted, coinciding with Biden's final year's total arrest. Famous operations in Florida and Massachusetts have won hundreds of dangerous individuals, including murderers, child rapists and fentanyl traffickers.
Designating these gangs as foreign terrorist organizations has enabled a government-wide approach to disrupt drug and human trafficking networks. Almost 300 members of these gangs were deported to El Salvador's terrorist confinement centers, making them unable to threaten American communities. By detaining some of Guantanamo Bay's most dangerous criminals and invoking alien enemy laws, Trump sent a clear message. America does not tolerate foreign criminals who exploit borders.
These deportation efforts make the country safer, especially in sanctuary communities that protected criminal foreigners from federal authorities. The administration's directive to publish a list of non-compliant jurisdictions and withhold federal funds from them has pressured local governments to comply with federal immigration enforcement.
But Trump critics condemned these measures and fragredded them as cruel and racially motivated. They convince him that his policies will “retreat families” and “demonize immigrants” by conveniently ignoring the crimes that are targeting his administration.
The story uncovers the nasty acceptance of a more violent and lawless America, where unidentified illegal migration and gang activity, is tolerated to advance a political agenda rooted in surrendered boundaries and pardons. By prioritizing the rights of illegal aliens to the safety of American citizens, these critics dismiss victims of immigrant crimes like Laiken Riley and Jocelyn Nungarray.
The economic and social costs of unidentified immigration are further motivators for the urgency of Trump's policy. Illegal immigration under Biden has taken taxpayers billions of dollars each year, the wages of strained schools and hospitals, and American workers. Trump's tariffs in Mexico and Canada have forced these countries to deploy thousands of troops to curb fentanyl smuggling and illegal crossings, demonstrating his ability to utilize diplomacy for border security. Meanwhile, his administration's advertising campaign, urging voluntary departures, encouraged self-report and reduced the burden of ice.
By quickly securing the southern border, dismantling violent gangs and securing challenging sanctuary policies, Trump has achieved what his recent predecessor deemed impossible. His embrace of confusion over the safety of critics reveals the political agenda of divorce from the reality of crime and economic tensions. Despite fierce partisan opposition, Trump's vision – a safe, legal, prosperous America – proves that decisive action is the path to true national security, rather than endless laws and ineffective half-measures.
Dale L. Wilcox is the executive director and general counsel at the Institute of Immigration Reform Law, a public interest law firm that works to defend the rights and interests of Americans from the negative effects of mass immigration.
