DHS Highlights Historic Year of Accomplishments in 2025

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a series of significant achievements and reforms spanning border security, immigration enforcement, national defense, and disaster response, as detailed in a year-end summary. In 2025 the department, under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald J. Trump, emphasized its efforts to restore the rule of law, enhance national security, and prioritize American citizens. These initiatives aim to secure the nation’s borders, combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking, strengthen cyber defenses, and improve disaster recovery processes.

Editor’s note: as noted by GAO, DHS does not fully explain its methodology in calculating its statistics, and they cannot be verified. All claims are provided as presented by DHS.

According to the DHS, the administration has seen a substantial decrease in illegal immigration. The department reports that over 2.5 million individuals have departed the U.S. due to immigration enforcement efforts, including an estimated 1.9 million self-deportations and more than 622,000 deportations. The agency also claims that fentanyl trafficking at the southern border has been reduced by half compared to the previous year. The U.S. Coast Guard is credited with seizing significant quantities of narcotics, with cocaine seizures alone reportedly sufficient to pose a lethal threat to over 177 million Americans. Furthermore, the DHS stated it has achieved taxpayer savings exceeding $13.2 billion and successfully returned key agencies like FEMA, CISA, and the Secret Service to their core operational missions.

Border security has been a central focus, with DHS reporting the most secure border in American history. The agency claims border crossings have decreased by 93% year-over-year, with average daily apprehensions at the southwest border falling to 245. For seven consecutive months, from May to November, the U.S. Border Patrol reportedly did not release any illegal aliens into the country. Nationwide apprehensions have reportedly averaged under 10,000 per month since the administration took office, a level described as unmatched in modern border history. Fiscal Year 2026 has reportedly seen the lowest start to a fiscal year on record, with fewer than 61,000 encounters nationwide in October and November. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported seizing over 539,000 pounds of drugs, an increase of nearly 10% compared to the same period in the previous year. The department has also awarded more than $5 billion in contracts for border wall construction and deployed over 130,000 feet of temporary barriers. Hiring at CBP has reportedly increased significantly, with a 42.5% rise in new officer hires and an 84% increase in Border Patrol agent hires compared to the prior year. CBP has also implemented over 40 presidential actions related to trade, assessing substantial tariff and customs revenue, and has worked to close loopholes exploited for the trafficking of narcotics and contraband.

In terms of immigration enforcement, DHS reports the arrest and deportation of hundreds of thousands of individuals deemed “criminal illegal aliens.” The agency states that 70% of those arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S. Beyond the reported deportations and self-deportations, DHS has conducted targeted enforcement operations in various cities, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Florida, Massachusetts, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Portland. These operations have resulted in thousands of arrests, with specific campaigns focusing on sex offenders and other serious criminal offenses. The department has also expanded partnerships with state and local law enforcement through Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g) agreements, leading to numerous arrests and increased detention capacity. A new web page, “Worst of the Worst,” has been launched to allow public access to information on criminal illegal aliens arrested during enforcement operations.

The DHS has also highlighted a significant increase in recruitment efforts across its agencies. A nationwide campaign to recruit for ICE reportedly received over 220,000 applications, with ICE on track to hire 10,000 new officers by the end of 2025. CBP has seen a notable increase in hiring velocity and volume. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also initiated a recruitment drive for “Homeland Defenders,” receiving over 50,000 applications, the highest in agency history. The U.S. Secret Service reported receiving over 91,000 applications, a 46% increase from the previous year. The U.S. Coast Guard surpassed its recruiting goals for Fiscal Year 2025, enlisting 5,204 new members, the highest number since 1991.

The department also stated that it has located over 129,000 unaccompanied children previously lost by the Biden administration, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services. Secretary Noem has also reportedly reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office to provide support for victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens.

USCIS has implemented what it describes as dynamic changes to immigration policies, aiming to ensure that individuals welcomed into the country align with American culture and values. A significant fraud investigation, “Operation Twin Shield,” reportedly uncovered evidence of fraud, non-compliance with immigration law, or public safety and national security concerns in over 500 cases. Following a recent attack involving an Afghan national, USCIS reportedly halted asylum processing for individuals from all countries, initiated a re-examination of Green Cards for individuals from high-risk countries, and placed a hold on applications from Afghan nationals and individuals from 19 other countries of concern. USCIS has also referred over 14,400 individuals to ICE for public safety, national security, and fraud concerns. The agency has reasserted its role as an immigration enforcement agency, with officers empowered to issue Notices to Appear, and has referred over 29,000 fraud cases to its Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. Policy changes have been made to employment authorization renewals and the validity period for certain documents to ensure more frequent vetting. The administration has also ended humanitarian parole programs for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, returning parole to a case-by-case basis. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has been ended for several countries, with orders for individuals to self-deport. The citizenship test has been revised to include more questions and a higher passing score, and enhancements to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) service have been implemented to facilitate bulk verification of citizenship. A proposed rule aims to rescind the 2022 Public Charge final rule, restoring USCIS discretion in determining reliance on government assistance.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced initiatives to enhance the travel experience. The “Quiet Skies” program, described as a surveillance program, has been ended. The “Shoes On” Campaign allows travelers to keep their shoes on during security screenings. The REAL ID program reportedly achieved 94% compliance, and TSA has launched campaigns aimed at improving customer experience, including hospitality training for its workforce. Wait times for TSA PreCheck have been reported at an average of 3 minutes, and for standard screening at 5-6 minutes, even during a shutdown. Bonuses were reportedly awarded to TSA officers and personnel who demonstrated exemplary service during a government shutdown.

The U.S. Coast Guard is reported to be undergoing revitalization, with seizures of illegal narcotics up 200% since January 2025. The agency has seized nearly 470,000 pounds of cocaine, and interdictions, deterrence events, and transportation of illegal aliens have increased by 120%. The Coast Guard played a role in rescue operations during flooding in Texas, saving numerous lives. Operation Pacific Viper in the Eastern Pacific aimed to interdict drugs and illegal aliens, resulting in significant drug seizures, including the Coast Guard’s largest-ever drug offload by a single cutter. The agency also launched Operation River Wall to secure approximately 260 miles of the Rio Grande River and commissioned the USCGC Storis, the first polar icebreaker in over 25 years. The Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) achieved its 1,000th counter-narcotics interdiction.

The U.S. Secret Service is reportedly being restored to its core functions. Since January 20, the agency has supported over 6,500 protective visits for 38 protectees and executed security plans for four National Special Security Events, including the 2025 Presidential Inauguration. Presidential protection was provided at major events such as the Super Bowl LIX and the Daytona 500. The National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) conducted over 364 trainings and briefings, reaching more than 56,700 participants, setting new annual records. The Secret Service completed outreach operations that reportedly prevented an estimated $407 million in fraud loss. A new Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit (ATIU) has been launched to enhance threat detection and mitigation.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is reportedly refocused on protecting critical infrastructure. CISA personnel are actively working with partners to identify and mitigate emerging threats. The agency has issued emergency directives to improve cybersecurity across the federal government and co-sealed numerous joint cybersecurity advisories. CISA has provided tools for cyber defenders, including the Eviction Strategies Tool and Thorium. Over $100 million in cybersecurity grant funding was announced for state, local, and tribal governments. CISA has also released a roadmap for enhancing CVE quality and launched an Industry Engagement Platform. The agency has issued over 1,000 pre-ransomware notifications and added 38 Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to a national catalog. Emergency directives were executed to address zero-day vulnerabilities, resulting in the patching of thousands of federal and public-facing devices. A guide for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Detection Technology has been published, and CISA supported pre-World Cup 2026 exercises. Improvements to data ingestion tools are reported to be saving $6.5 million annually, and automated communication has been deployed to expand real-time communication with over 20,000 state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has undergone a transformation aimed at rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. The agency has returned nearly $3.5 billion to communities for emergency preparedness. Recipients of FEMA grants are reportedly no longer permitted to use federal funds for housing illegal aliens, climate change projects, or organizations with alleged ties that do not serve the public interest. FEMA reportedly fired four employees who attempted to allocate $59 million for housing illegal aliens. The agency provided rapid assistance following disaster declarations in New Mexico and Texas, with the Texas response described as one of the fastest and most coordinated federal disaster responses in the state’s history. Expedited FEMA Public Assistance funding was approved for storm recovery efforts in Alaska and tornado recovery in Missouri. FEMA implemented a new approach called RAPID (Rapid Assessment with Public Infrastructure Data) to accelerate the formulation of Public Assistance grants, reducing processing time significantly. Improvements have been made to DisasterAssistance.gov, including a new application status tracker and guided videos for survivors. FEMA has also partnered with the U.S. Treasury to offer faster and more secure payment options for disaster assistance and launched a Direct-to-Consumer Flood Insurance Quoting Tool.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Department of Homeland Security

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