FACT CHECK: What Has President Trump Done To Fight Illegal Immigration? – NPR
A Border Patrol vehicle patrols a section of the U.S.-Mexico border fence near Yuma, Ariz. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption
A Border Patrol vehicle patrols a section of the U.S.-Mexico border fence near Yuma, Ariz.
President Trump returns Tuesday night to the same Phoenix convention center where he spoke during the campaign last year, laying out a 10-point plan to fight illegal immigration.
He's also visiting a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Yuma, Ariz., a few miles from the Southwest border.
Now seven months into his presidency, Trump has pushed for dramatic changes to the nation's immigration system. But he's also been stymied by Congress and by the courts.
Here's a look at what the Trump White House has accomplished on each of those 10 promises and what it hasn't.
1. "We will build a great wall along the southern border. And Mexico will pay for the wall."
The border wall remains more aspiration than reality. The Department of Homeland Security is waiving environmental rules to speed up construction of prototypes near San Diego.
But so far, Mexico has balked at paying for the wall. And so has Congress. The House has appropriated nearly $1.6 billion for the first phase of construction, but the Senate hasn't.
2. "We are going to end catch and release."
Administration officials say they're following through on Trump's promise to end so-called catch and release. That's how many critics describe the policy that allowed many immigrants to go free until their court dates, which can often be years away because of court backlogs.
In practice, it's not clear that the Trump administration is handling these cases much differently than previous administrations did.
But there has been a dramatic drop in the number of people apprehended at the Southwest border since Trump took office a 46 percent drop during the first seven months of the year compared to 2016, according to a DHS official. The total for March was the lowest in at least 17 years, although the numbers have started to creep back up since then.
3. "Zero tolerance for criminal aliens."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests are up more than 43 percent since late January compared to the same period in 2016, according to a DHS official. "We are still continuing to prioritize our resources on those individuals that create and pose the greatest public safety and national security threat," the official said. Seventy-two percent of those arrested had criminal convictions, a much lower percentage than the final years of the Obama administration.
Trump has pushed Congress for funding to hire more agents for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. But like funding for the border wall, Congress has yet to sign off.
4. "Block funding for sanctuary cities."
The Justice Department is trying to follow through on that promise to punish so-called sanctuary cities, which limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. DOJ made some law enforcement grants contingent on whether those cities do more to help ICE.
But Chicago and California quickly took the administration to court. That's in addition to lawsuits filed earlier this year by San Francisco, Seattle and other self-described sanctuary cities.
5. "Cancel unconstitutional executive orders and enforce all immigration laws."
This probably refers to two Obama-era executive actions including DACA, which protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children from deportation.
The Trump White House dropped its support for a related program called DAPA, which was supposed to help the parents of those children.
But so far, the White House has allowed DACA to continue, much to the dismay of immigration hard-liners. Texas and other states are threatening to sue if the administration doesn't pull its support for DACA by Sept. 5.
6. "We are going to suspend the issuance of visas to any place where adequate screening cannot occur."
This is part of what Trump's travel ban executive order was supposed to do.
The order Trump signed just a week after taking office would have blocked travelers from seven mostly Muslim countries that the administration says are known havens for terrorists.
Federal courts put the original order on hold. But the Supreme Court allowed a limited version of the travel ban to take effect until it can hear legal challenges to the ban in the fall.
7. "We will ensure that other countries take their people back when we order them deported."
Trump pointed out in Phoenix last year that immigrants with criminal records can wind up staying in the U.S. because their home country won't take them back. The White House has reportedly cut the number of non-cooperative countries from 23 to 12. Immigration hawks say that's a big win, and that the administration deserves more credit for it.
8. "We will finally complete the biometric entry-exit visa tracking system which we need desperately."
For years, Congress has required the Department of Homeland Security to create a system to track everyone who comes in and out of the country using biometric technologies like facial recognition or fingerprint scanners.
In recent years, a majority of new undocumented immigrants have overstayed temporary visas, while the number crossing the border illegally has fallen.
Customs and Border Protection is testing a few prototype systems at U.S. airports this summer. But experts say a comprehensive solution that will work at more than 300 land, sea and air ports of entry remains a long way off.
9. "We will turn off the jobs and benefits magnet."
In the spring, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to "Buy American" and "Hire American," and urging others to do the same.
But critics point out that Trump's own companies continue to hire foreign guest workers and manufacture overseas. And just as the White House's "Made in America" week was underway in July, the administration announced it would allow an additional 15,000 temporary foreign workers.
10. "We will reform legal immigration to serve the best interests of America and its workers, the forgotten people."
Earlier this month, the White House threw its support behind the RAISE Act, which would prioritize immigrants with valuable skills and high-paying U.S. job offers, and gradually reduce the number of other foreign nationals who can reunite with their families already living in the U.S. But there seems to be little enthusiasm for the bill in the Senate.
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FACT CHECK: What Has President Trump Done To Fight Illegal Immigration? - NPR
- Big Banks and the U.S. Treasury Have Been Enabling Illegal Immigration for Two Decades - Center for Immigration Studies - May 25th, 2026 [May 25th, 2026]
- Judge Re-Blocks Provisions of Texas Illegal Entry Law - Federation for American Immigration Reform - May 25th, 2026 [May 25th, 2026]
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- Virginia Gov. Spanberger addresses reporters on redistricting, illegal immigration - Fox News - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Bill creating state illegal immigration crime headed to Lee - Johnson City Press - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
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- Illegal alien sends 2 ICE officers to hospital after attempt to dangerously evade arrest - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - April 8th, 2026 [April 8th, 2026]
- Meet one of the medias non-criminals: ICE arrests illegal alien wanted for murder in Virginia - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - April 8th, 2026 [April 8th, 2026]
- Bill creating state illegal immigration crime headed to Lee - blackchronicle.com - April 8th, 2026 [April 8th, 2026]
- Illinois Poised to Pass Another Bill Shielding Illegal Aliens in the State - Federation for American Immigration Reform - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Alito invokes Scalia analogy in birthright citizenship case over illegal immigration - Fox News - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Mass Deportation Coalition Launches Playbook Aimed at Reversing the Harmful Impact of Mass Illegal Immigration - PR Newswire - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Cesar Chavez fought illegal immigration is that why he was canceled so quickly? - The College Fix - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Video | Nitiin Gadkari Raises Alarm On 'Illegal Immigration' In Assam Ahead Of State Elections - NDTV - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Man convicted on incest, other sex charges sentenced to federal prison for illegal immigration - Gulf Coast News and Weather - March 20th, 2026 [March 20th, 2026]
- FAIR Launches Investigation into Illegal Aliens Access to the U.S. Banking System - Federation for American Immigration Reform - March 20th, 2026 [March 20th, 2026]
- ICE Houston lodges detainers on 2 criminal illegal aliens arrested for intoxicated manslaughter in past month - U.S. Immigration and Customs... - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Letters: Trump has stemmed tide of illegal immigration that leads to many ills - NOLA.com - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Birmingham man charged with impeding arrest of person accused of illegal immigration - WBRC - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Sen. John Cornyn calls Texas mass shooting a sad but familiar story, warns of illegal immigration - Fox News - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Utahns first or eroding the Utah way? House OKs measure cracking down on illegal immigration - KSL.com - March 2nd, 2026 [March 2nd, 2026]
- Is the government meeting its pledges on illegal immigration and asylum? - BBC - March 2nd, 2026 [March 2nd, 2026]
- California to Spend $35 Million to Prevent the Deportation of Illegal Aliens - Federation for American Immigration Reform - March 2nd, 2026 [March 2nd, 2026]
- ICE Special Response Team arrests criminal illegal alien alleged sex offender and human smuggler in Minneapolis - U.S. Immigration and Customs... - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE Harrisonburg arrests illegal alien with extensive criminal history - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- Imposition of Visa Restrictions on Uzbekistanis Facilitating Illegal Immigration to the United States - U.S. Department of State (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE arrests violent criminal illegal alien who murdered a toddler in Wisconsin - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE deports Jamaican criminal illegal alien convicted of murdering a father of 7 - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE, federal partners arrest criminal illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of murder - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE Buffalo investigation lands criminal illegal alien 25-year prison sentence for distribution of child sexual abuse material - U.S. Immigration and... - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- Criminal illegal alien sentenced to prison for assaulting ICE officers during Massachusetts arrest - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Chicago mayor orders CPD to document illegal activity by immigration agents - FOX 32 Chicago - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Chicago mayor tells police to probe allegations of illegal activity by immigration agents - Reuters - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- The Left is Badly Misreading the Politics of Illegal Immigration - American Enterprise Institute - AEI - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago ordered city police on Saturday to formally document and report aggressive and potentially illegal federal... - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Opinion | The left is badly misreading the politics of illegal immigration - The Washington Post - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Federal Court Will Hear Minnesota Claims That Immigration Surge is Illegal - The New York Times - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Letters: News outlets are denigrating federal agents and glossing over the reality of illegal immigration - chicagotribune.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Chaffetz: Democrats Have Overplayed Their Hand On Illegal Immigration - FOX News Radio - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- VOTE: Do you agree with the way ICE is conducting its illegal immigration crackdown? - WPEC - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- ICE arrests dozens of criminal illegal aliens convicted of murder, child rape and more in sanctuary state Minnesota - ICE | U.S. Immigration and... - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- VOTE: Do you agree with the way ICE is conducting its illegal immigration crackdown? - National News Desk - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- Cochran: Illegal immigration, enforcement of laws to be at forefront of assembly session - The Daily Post-Athenian - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- Report: Hundreds more federal agents to arrive in Twin Cities for illegal immigration and fraud crackdown - Star Tribune - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- Who's Responsible? Identity Theft Fueled by Government Inaction and Illegal Immigration - Herald/Review Media - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- Report: Hundreds more federal agents to arrive in Twin Cities for illegal immigration and fraud crackdown - Red Lake Nation News - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- Who's Responsible? Identity Theft Fueled by Government Inaction and Illegal Immigration - RealClearInvestigations - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- 2025 Year in Review: Border Security and Illegal Immigration - thetexan.news - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- ICE Operation Highway Sentinel arrests over 100 illegal alien truck drivers in Gavin Newsoms California - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs... - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- ED Attaches Assets Worth Rs 5.41 Crore Over Illegal Immigration To US - NDTV - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Is the government meeting its pledges on illegal immigration and asylum? - AOL.com - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- ROSEN: Ruben Navarette glosses over illegal part of immigration - Sentinel Colorado - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- HUDs Turner blames housing affordability crisis on unchecked illegal immigration - Scotsman Guide - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- TSA and DHS team up to crackdown on illegal immigration in the air - Fox News - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- OPINION: Its Time For Cities To Join The Fight Against Illegal Immigration - Dallas Express - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Tory shadow minister praises Trumps illegal immigration crackdown and says it could work in UK - the-independent.com - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Vances Misleading Claims on Housing Prices and Illegal Immigration - FactCheck.org - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- The truth about crime and illegal immigration is even worse than you imagine - The Telegraph - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- ICE Buffalo arrests notorious drug trafficker and criminal illegal alien from Ukraine who attempted to exploit immigration law to hide from justice -... - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Tory shadow minister praises Trumps illegal immigration crackdown and says it could work in UK - AOL.com - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Since the inauguration of the second Trump administration, illegal immigration crackdowns have been - - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- UAE Introduces Strict Visa Rules To Enhance National Security, Imposing Hefty Fines And Prison Terms For Illegal Immigration And Misuse Of Travel... - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Illegal immigration under Trump and Biden: What numbers reveal - MSN - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Illegal immigration is hurting U.S. economy: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent - Fox News - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Carter calls for increased ICE presence in Atlanta to address criminal illegal immigration problem - U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (.gov) - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- Florida Takes the Lead to Eliminate Burdens of Illegal Immigration - Federation for American Immigration Reform - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- Trumps claims about murder rates and illegal immigration fit red states more than blue states - WBEZ Chicago - November 7th, 2025 [November 7th, 2025]
- Violent criminal illegal alien apprehended by ICE after high-stakes operation in Chicago - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - November 7th, 2025 [November 7th, 2025]
- Deterring Illegal Immigration: This Town Decided that Actions Speak Louder than Words - Federation for American Immigration Reform - November 7th, 2025 [November 7th, 2025]