Darien Gap falls silent as migrant crossings plunge 99.98% under Trump's border crackdown

By lauraharris // 2025-08-03

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Unauthorized migrant crossings through the Darien Gap fell 99.98 percent in May and June 2025, with only 23 migrants recorded over both months, down from tens of thousands in prior years.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attributes the decline to President Donald Trump's renewed enforcement strategy, including mass deportations and a strict "no release" policy for illegal border crossers.
DHS has shifted focus to stopping migration before it begins, using expanded surveillance, joint patrols and public messaging across Latin America to dissuade would-be migrants, particularly vulnerable groups like women and children.
A new CBP Home App offers undocumented migrants free return travel and a $1,000 stipend, encouraging voluntary departures and easing strain on detention facilities.
With crossings at record lows and smuggling networks disrupted, DHS officials have declared the current state of border security the most effective in modern American history.

The Darien Gap, once one of the most treacherous and heavily trafficked migrant corridors in the world, is now eerily quiet as unauthorized migrant crossings dropped by 99.98 percent in May and June. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), just 13 migrants crossed the treacherous jungle corridor in May, followed by only 10 in June – a stunning collapse from the tens of thousands who made the perilous journey just months ago. (Related: Trump advocates stronger immigration policies and border security.) The shift is stark. Just 16 months ago, under former President Joe Biden, monthly crossings through the Darien jungle reached record highs. In February 2024 alone, over 37,000 migrants traversed the dangerous trail. In 2023, more than half a million migrants, many from Venezuela, Haiti and countries across Africa and Asia, used the Darien Gap as the first major leg of their journey toward the United States. At its height in 2022, Panamanian authorities reported weekly crossings averaging 16,400 migrants. Human smuggling networks thrived, offering costly and often deadly passage across the 2,600-mile route to the U.S. border. Now, those same networks appear to be crumbling. Border Patrol agents apprehended just 6,000 illegal border crossers in June, the lowest monthly total on record. By contrast, in June 2024, over 83,000 migrants crossed the southern border. The year before, that number was 99,000 and in June 2022, nearly 200,000. Officials in Washington, along with Panama's National Migration Service, have credited the tightened U.S. immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump for the near-total halt. Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated a raft of hardline policies aimed at deterring illegal crossings, including mass deportations and a refusal to release any migrants into the U.S. interior. "The world is hearing our message that America's borders are closed to lawbreakers," said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Trump administration declares "most secure border in U.S. history"

Under Trump's second administration, the DHS has reshaped its approach to immigration by emphasizing pre-border enforcement, working with governments across Latin America to stem migration at the source. Through messaging campaigns, joint patrols, expanded surveillance and coordinated interdictions, DHS claimed it has dissuaded would-be migrants from even beginning the journey north. Much of the administration's outreach has specifically targeted vulnerable populations, including women and children, warning of the physical dangers posed by the Darien Gap and the futility of attempting unlawful entry into the United States. On the domestic front, DHS has launched a technology-driven deportation initiative designed to encourage voluntary compliance with immigration law. The newly launched CBP Home App allows undocumented migrants to schedule their own departures from the U.S., offering free travel assistance and a $1,000 stipend upon verified return to their home country. The initiative is part of a "smart enforcement model," combining incentives with streamlined removal procedures to reduce strain on detention centers and immigration courts. It also aims to send a clear signal: Unlawful entry leads to removal, not resettlement. With crossings down across key corridors, including at the southern U.S. border, DHS officials now declared the U.S. has achieved the most secure border in its modern history. In addition to slashing Darien Gap flows, the administration has dramatically reduced border apprehensions, increased deportation flights and narrowed access to asylum protections. Find more stories like this at InvasionUSA.news. Watch the video below that talks about Trump's move to deport illegals regardless of what courts say.

This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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Trump administration declares "most secure border in U.S. history"

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