Photo: Alamy
Trump administration Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is traveling to the southern border of the U.S. on Friday to visit with troops and inspect border operations as illegal crossings have dropped to historic lows.
A video of Hegseth’s departure was posted to his X account of his Friday departure.
“The brand-new ‘NATIONAL DEFENSE AREA’ is now operational at the border. We’re going down to see our troops ON MISSION,” he posted.
“We will fully SEAL the border & REPEL all illegals attempting to cross. Feels good to seal OUR OWN BORDER, not somebody else’s,” the defense secretary added.
The trip comes after President Donald Trump highlighted record-low illegal border crossings in March, marking the second consecutive lowest daily average in the nation’s history. The president shared a brief update on Truth Social featuring the unprecedented achievement.
“BORDER CROSSINGS HIT ALL TIME RECORD LOW IN MARCH!!!” Trump wrote in all caps.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection shared the latest updates in a separate announcement.
“U.S. Border Patrol’s apprehensions along the southwest border for the entire month of March 2025 were lower than the first two days of March 2024,” said Pete Flores, Acting Commissioner of CBP.
“This is a testament to the tireless dedication and vigilant service of the men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who work every day to keep our country safe. Their commitment on the front lines plays a vital role in securing our borders and protecting American communities,” he added.
March marked the second consecutive month that the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) recorded the lowest average daily apprehensions in its history, with an estimated 264 apprehensions per day. This figure is approximately 20 percent lower than the daily average of 330 in February and a sharp decline of ninety-four percent compared to the daily average of 4,488 in March 2024, according to the report.
Throughout March 2025, USBP apprehended 7,181 individuals who crossed the southwest border illegally between ports of entry. That total represents a 14 percent decrease from February 2025, when 8,346 individuals were arrested, and a 95 percent decrease from March 2024, when 137,473 individuals were taken into custody.
