The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the United States announced on Thursday 15 consecutive months without a single release at the border, based on data from July 2026, solidifying what the Trump administration describes as the strictest immigration control in the country's recent history.
The "zero releases" policy puts an end to the so-called "catch and release" practice, in which the Border Patrol detained undocumented migrants and then released them within the country while they awaited their immigration hearings.
Since May 2025, the first full month of the new policy, no migrant apprehended at the border has been released directly into the interior of the United States.
The apprehensions at the southwest border in July 2026 totaled 9,295, a 6% decrease compared to June and 94% below the monthly average recorded during the Biden administration. Nationally, the Border Patrol apprehended 11,298 individuals in July, a 1% reduction from the previous month.
«Once again this month, the results are clear: President Trump's border security agenda is restoring order and prioritizing the safety of the American people,» stated DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. «We have the safest border in history.»
For his part, the CBP Commissioner, Rodney S. Scott, attributed the results to a combination of clear policy, strong law enforcement, and dedicated personnel at the border.
The White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, amplified the announcement this Saturday on her official account on X, where she highlighted the milestone as a central achievement of the Trump administration.
In terms of narcotics, CBP reported in July seizures of 1,054 pounds of fentanyl, a 3% increase from June, and 79 pounds of heroin, which is 20% higher than the previous month.
In total, drug seizures in July 2026 exceeded those of July 2024 by 26%, while year-to-date, the cumulative increase compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year stands at 54%.
The impact of this policy on the Cuban community has been severe. According to an analysis by the Cato Institute, the detentions of Cubans by ICE increased by 463% between October 2024 and January 2026.
The asylum approval rate for Cubans dropped to 7% nationwide, and between October 2025 and June 2026, more than 4,000 Cubans received deportation orders solely in Florida.
Additionally, the United States has deported more than 4,353 Cubans to Mexico as a third country between January 2025 and March 2026, according to data from Human Rights Watch.
In the first five months of 2026, another 612 Cubans were deported on direct flights to Havana in 18 different operations.
Fiscal year 2025 closed with nearly 238,000 apprehensions at the southwest border, the lowest level since 1970, a figure that the Trump administration uses as a benchmark to argue that its policies have structurally transformed immigration control in the country.
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