DHS touts ‘most secure border' in US history amid departure of nearly 3M illegal immigrants

By Fox News · Fox News

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday touted "historic progress" under President Donald Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem, highlighting nearly 3 million illegal immigrants who have left the United States and what officials call "the most secure border in American history." The statement, released as Trump delivered his first State of the Union address since returning to office, credited the administration’s policies with producing record-low border crossings, expanded immigration enforcement and billions in taxpayer savings, while criticizing congressional Democrats for shutting down DHS funding. "Over the last 13 months, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and more than 713,000 deportations," Noem said in a statement. Noem added that total border apprehensions under the Trump administration "were lower than a single month" under the Biden administration, and DHS has saved taxpayers more than $13.2 billion. SCOOP: THOUSANDS OF VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN MINNESOTA AS ADMIN VOWS ‘WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN’ "Countless lives have been saved, communities have been strengthened, and the American people have been put first again," Noem stated. DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and removed more than 1,500 known or suspected terrorists over the past year. Nationwide immigration operations also led to nearly 8,000 gang-related arrests, including members associated with Tren de Aragua and MS-13 , the department said. DHS added that it launched a new web page, "Worst of the Worst," tracking criminal illegal immigrants arrested during federal enforcement operations under the administration. NOEM TOUTS TSA SUCCESS AFTER THOUSANDS WITH TERROR LINKS BARRED FROM FLIGHTS AT MAJOR US AIRPORT The department also reported an increase in drug seizures by Customs and Border Protection compared to the prior 12-…