U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks delivered a striking update on the state of the southern border this week, declaring that morale within his agency is “going through the roof” under the Trump administration, citing a sharp decline in illegal crossings and a dramatic shift in enforcement policy.
In a Wednesday appearance on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, Banks credited President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown for revitalizing the Border Patrol, saying agents now feel empowered to do the job they signed up for.
“We’ve had the handcuffs taken off,” Banks said. “We’re allowed to actually do our job, which is go out and enforce the law. Under this administration, they have literally taken the handcuffs off and allowed us to enforce law instead of policies that were created to contradict the law. So our morale has continued to rise.”
Banks’ remarks come on the heels of a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report revealing that fewer migrants were apprehended during the entire month of March 2025 than in just the first two days of March 2024 under the Biden administration—a staggering statistic that underscores the impact of Trump’s policies.
In Texas’ Eagle Pass—once the epicenter of the border crisis—apprehensions have plummeted. According to Banks, the area was previously logging 3,000 to 4,000 encounters per day. Now, agents are averaging just 18 apprehensions per day, with “very few gotaways, little to none.”
The Trump administration is touting its results as vindication of its hardline immigration strategy—a strategy that appears to be resonating not just within the Border Patrol ranks, but also with a majority of Americans.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the results earlier this month, stating:
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Border Patrol agents are now back to doing the jobs they signed up for: securing the border, rather than serving as travel agents for illegal aliens.”
She pointed to a Los Angeles Times article that observed how “shelters that once served migrants have completely closed,” and described the California-Mexico border as “nearly empty.”
Chief Banks also revealed that Border Patrol recruitment has hit record highs. He noted a reversal of the personnel crisis that plagued the agency during the Biden years:
“During the previous four years under the Biden administration, we saw a mass exodus from the Border Patrol and some of our lowest recruiting numbers,” Banks said. “We’re seeing the opposite now—agents pulling retirement paperwork to stay longer and new applicants coming in at record numbers.”
This enthusiasm has been credited to the return of a clear mission—one centered on border security rather than immigration processing.
The Trump administration’s approach represents a sharp departure from the policies of former President Joe Biden, which many critics blamed for the worst border crisis in modern American history. Under Biden, CBP faced overwhelming surges, strained resources, and record-breaking illegal entries.
“We’re excited, we’re energized, and we’re finally back to doing what we were trained and sworn in to do,” he said.
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