US Homeland Security chief touts steep decline in border crossings

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Friday that the country is experiencing a dramatic drop in unlawful border crossings and a surge in migrant departures.

"We've just reached our seventh month of zero illegal aliens released into our streets. Border crossings are down over 93% year over year. Meanwhile, we're removing illegal aliens who came in under the Biden administration," Noem said at a border security symposium in Washington, DC.

According to Noem, the administration expects 2.5 million people who entered the country unlawfully to have left the US by the end of 2025.

She said that the figure includes more than 600,000 individuals detained and deported, while another 1.9 million, she claimed, left “voluntarily” through various outreach and repatriation programs.

“That includes ... our communication efforts, facilitating plane tickets, and also $1,000 reimbursements for those who choose to go home voluntarily with the opportunity to come back the right way,” she said.

Noem also highlighted what she described as sharp declines in illegal drugs entering the country.

"Fentanyl traffic across our border at the southern border is down at 56% and that means that fewer families will have to live with the pain of losing a loved one," she said.

She added that the administration has intensified maritime security operations. Since January, Noem said, the US Coast Guard has seized "enough cocaine to kill 177 million Americans" — an amount she noted equals roughly two-thirds of the US population.

Noem faced criticism Thursday at a hearing where multiple House Democrats accused her of abusing her authority and called for her resignation.