The Texas border city of El Paso has transformed from a hub of migrant activity to a scene of unusual tranquility following the implementation of President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration measures. Border detentions have plummeted to their lowest levels in decades, with only a trickle of migrants compared to the thousands who once crowded shelters and streets.
Just a few years ago, as many as 2,500 migrants camped outside El Paso’s Sacred Heart Catholic church, lining the streets on donated blankets while awaiting aid from charities. Now, the area sees only a handful of parishioners, and similar quiet prevails in nearby parks and shelters that were once overflowing. This shift began after Trump took office in January 2025, fulfilling a campaign promise to secure the border, and the influx slowed dramatically across the entire 1,900-mile US-Mexico frontier.
Official data underscores this change: in September 2025, only 11,647 people were detained along the border, compared to 101,000 in September 2024 and 269,700 in September 2023. This represents the lowest number of illegal border crossings since the 1970s, a stark contrast to the peak under the Biden administration. The decline started in Biden’s final year but accelerated rapidly under Trump’s policies.
Multiple factors contribute to the drop, including a Mexican government crackdown on northbound migrant flows, the termination of most humanitarian parole programs, significantly tighter asylum restrictions, and enhanced surveillance aided by the US military. Additionally, Trump’s interior deportation drives have deterred potential migrants, with one undocumented individual noting that people are no longer attempting to cross as they did under Biden.
For many border residents, the new reality brings relief. Demesio Guerrero, a naturalized US citizen from Mexico, described the previous situation as “chaos everywhere,” with encampments of women, children, and elderly people that felt “totally out of control.” He and others credit Trump’s vision and decisive actions for restoring order, with administration officials boasting that no arrested undocumented migrants have been released into the US for six straight months.
However, the crackdown has sparked mixed emotions. While some conservatives support strong border security, they express sympathy for migrants, and data reveals that over 70% of those detained have no criminal record, many having lived in the US for years. Marisa Limon Garza of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center highlights the distress among border communities, where families with cross-border ties are affected, and some Trump voters now regret their choice.
The human cost is evident, with stories of long-term residents facing deportation, such as individuals who lost employment authorization and can no longer pay rent. Ross Barrera, a Republican and Army veteran, acknowledged that harsh enforcement raids upset many, emphasizing that “people are human” and it’s troubling to see long-standing community members removed. Activist Jesse Fuentes noted that fear prevents open discussion, but second thoughts about the policies are widespread.
As the Trump administration declares full “operational control” of the border for the first time in US history, the situation remains complex. The quiet streets symbolize a policy victory for some but also underscore deep divisions and the personal toll of immigration enforcement, leaving communities grappling with the consequences of a transformed border landscape.
