Vice President JD Vance visited Texas to discuss the Trump administration’s border security measures, emphasizing a sharp decline in illegal migrant crossings. During his visit to Maverick County, he joined Governor Greg Abbott for a private roundtable before heading to the Eagle Pass patrol station to assess border enforcement efforts.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data, migrant encounters dropped by over 60% from January 2024 to January 2025. Vance credited the decline to empowering law enforcement, stating, “All we needed to do was support these guys in doing their jobs, and now we see crossings drop from about 1,500 a day to 30 a day in this area.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Director of National Intelligence accompanied Vance on the visit. They addressed national security concerns at the border, stressing the need for better vetting processes to identify threats. Officials also noted that cartel tactics resemble those of overseas terrorist groups, reinforcing the administration’s push to designate cartels as terrorist organizations.
Vance highlighted the necessity of military support for border patrol, particularly in countering the use of drone technology by cartels. Hegseth added that the Defense Department could provide troops, surveillance, and strategic planning to enhance border enforcement.
With crossings in Eagle Pass significantly reduced, Vance praised the administration’s policies, asserting that tighter border security has made a measurable impact.