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The White House announced the dismantling of a migrant processing facility in the San Diego Border Patrol Sector citing a dramatic drop in illegal border crossings and ramped-up immigration enforcement efforts. The Biden-era soft-sided facility, once used to temporarily house migrants, was removed following what officials described as a more than 96% decrease in illegal crossings in the region.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the decline reflects ongoing policy shifts and increased federal coordination with local and state agencies. The White House emphasized that enhanced border security measures are yielding “historic” reductions in unauthorized migration, particularly in high-traffic areas like San Diego.
The announcement comes amid a broader campaign by federal authorities to locate and arrest undocumented immigrants with criminal records across the U.S. Over the Memorial Day weekend, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested several individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes, including gang violence and sexual offenses involving minors. The arrests spanned several cities including Boston, Denver, New York, San Francisco, and Houston.
Among those arrested was Kevin Estuarde Hernandez, an 18-year-old from Guatemala, who was taken into custody in Boston. He is suspected of being a member of the 18th Street Gang and involved in a shooting incident between rival gangs. In Denver, authorities arrested Jose Antonio Deras, a 45-year-old Salvadoran national, who faces four felony charges of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse. He had previously been ordered removed from the United States in 2009.
In California, Carlos Torres Valdovinos, a 46-year-old Mexican national, was apprehended in San Francisco. He has a prior conviction for felony oral copulation of a child and is among several individuals targeted in recent enforcement operations aimed at removing undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records. The arrests reflect a broader nationwide push by immigration authorities under the Trump administration to prioritize public safety in immigration enforcement efforts.
The arrests are part of ongoing efforts by federal law enforcement under the Trump administration to intensify removal operations targeting individuals deemed threats to public safety.
In a presidential proclamation released the same day, President Donald J. Trump marked the 101st anniversary of the United States Border Patrol (USBP) by highlighting what he called a “restoration of law and order” at the southern border. Trump credited his administration’s early actions, including the declaration of a national emergency, renewed border wall construction, and policy reversals on asylum and migrant detention, with the steep decline in illegal entries.
“Within my first 100 days in office, daily border encounters dropped 95 percent, and migrant crossings declined by an astounding 99.99 percent,” the proclamation read. It also claimed a 54 percent year-over-year drop in fentanyl trafficking and more than 135,000 deportations since January 20.
The proclamation also reiterated Trump’s view that previous border policies had encouraged unlawful migration and undermined national security, referencing “an army of unvetted illegal aliens” that arrived under prior administrations. Trump also praised USBP agents for their commitment and sacrifice, pledging continued investment in their mission.
The developments underscore the sharp divide in immigration policy between the current and previous administrations, as well as the growing role of immigration enforcement in national political discourse. While critics of the administration warn of potential civil rights concerns and humanitarian consequences of broad enforcement tactics, supporters argue that strict measures are necessary to uphold the rule of law and protect American communities.