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Borderlines: Is America Winning the Fight Against Illegal Immigration?

Part 3 of our Immigration Series

The Current Border Landscape (2024–2025)

In 2024 and early 2025, the U.S. faced record-high numbers of migrant encounters at its southern border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there were over 2.4 million encounters in FY 2023 alone—a historic peak. In response, the Biden administration implemented a mix of deterrence and reform policies.

The expiration of Title 42—a pandemic-era public health order—marked a significant shift. It had allowed rapid expulsions without asylum processing. In its place, the administration introduced new rules requiring migrants to schedule asylum appointments using the CBP One app and to seek protection in another country before reaching the U.S.

At the same time, funding for border operations increased, with more personnel, surveillance technology, and expedited asylum screenings. Deportations also rose: over 271,000 people were removed in FY 2024, the highest number since 2014.

The Effectiveness Debate: Are We Safer?

Supporters of stricter enforcement argue that increased deportations and rule changes signal strength and order. Critics counter that these policies have not meaningfully reduced crossings—only changed their timing or location.

Data suggests mixed outcomes. While daily crossings initially dropped after Title 42 ended, they rose again in late 2024. Cartels and smuggling networks have adapted quickly, shifting routes and exploiting delays in U.S. courts. Fast-tracking certain cases has improved processing in some regions, but the overall system remains overwhelmed.

In FY 2023, the U.S. recorded over 2.48 million migrant encounters at the southern border—a historic peak. The following year saw a modest decline, with FY 2024 totaling around 2.3 million. But by the final months of 2024, crossings surged again, reaching nearly 8,000 per day in December, up from around 5,000 per day just six months earlier.

At the same time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported over 271,000 removals in FY 2024—the highest number since 2014. This included deportations and voluntary departures. Yet the central question remains: is it working?

Shifting Policies, Mixed Outcomes

Following the expiration of Title 42 in May 2023, the Biden administration implemented new asylum restrictions requiring migrants to use the CBP One app and first seek protection in another country en route. Over 500,000 appointments were processed through the app by late 2024, streamlining some cases while frustrating others due to tech barriers and delays.

Meanwhile, cartels and human traffickers adapted quickly—shifting routes to remote desert corridors in Arizona and overwhelming smaller, less-equipped border stations. While federal spending on CBP and ICE rose above $20 billion in FY 2024, enforcement gains were uneven. Daily crossings remained volatile, and cities like El Paso and New York strained under the pressure of migrant surges.

Economic Realities vs. Enforcement Costs

Undocumented immigrants remain both a fiscal contributor and a logistical challenge. In 2024, they contributed an estimated $13 billion in taxes, including property, sales, and income tax. But enforcement, detention, and legal proceedings cost more than $20 billion. Detention costs alone topped $3 billion.

And yet, many industries—agriculture, construction, elder care—rely on this labor force. Economists at the Brookings Institution note that while enforcement costs are high, undocumented workers still boost GDP through consumption and productivity over time. It’s a complex equation: financial input vs. national expenditure, security vs. economic necessity.

The Human Cost

Thousands of families remain separated in legal limbo. Detention centers are overwhelmed, with recurring reports of poor conditions. Cities housing large numbers of asylum seekers report strain on healthcare, education, and housing. Meanwhile, immigration courts remain bogged down with over 2 million pending cases—forcing migrants to wait years for a hearing.

One actionable solution: increasing immigration judge funding to reduce this backlog. Without faster adjudication, both migrants and the system remain paralyzed.

Security vs. Values

Border agents and ICE officers often operate with shifting directives depending on the administration in power. This instability affects morale, consistency, and the ability to implement long-term strategies. Reactive policymaking—driven more by headlines than sustained planning—has become the norm.

In the pursuit of secure borders, we must not lose sight of the inherent dignity of every individual, recognizing that policies enacted without compassion risk causing unintended harm and eroding the moral fabric of a nation founded on the promise of opportunity for all.

So, is America “winning” the fight against illegal immigration? That depends on the metric. If success means record deportations or reduced crossings, some may say yes. But if the goal is a humane, sustainable, and effective immigration system—then the answer is still unfolding.

One thing is clear: no nation can ignore its borders, but neither can it ignore the people who cross them. A balanced strategy—built on law, compassion, and realism—isn’t just smart policy. It’s the only way forward.

Sources

1. U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Southwest Land Border Encounters FY2023–FY2024.” cbp.gov.
2. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “FY 2024 ICE Annual Report.” ice.gov.
3. Department of Homeland Security. “Title 42 and Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule.” dhs.gov, 2023.
4. American Immigration Council. “Undocumented Immigrants’ State & Local Tax Contributions,” 2024.
5. Migration Policy Institute. “The Costs of U.S. Immigration Enforcement,” 2024.
6. Brookings Institution. “Immigration Enforcement and Economic Impact,” 2023.
7. Congressional Research Service. “U.S. Immigration Court Backlogs and the Dignity Act,” 2024.