The Trump administration's unwavering "all of government" approach to enforcing immigration laws is delivering precisely the intended "chilling effect" at our southern border. Independent journalist and Townhall alum Julio Rosas recently ventured into Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego, CA. His on-the-ground interviews with Mexican citizens and various immigration resource organizations confirm what patriots across America have long demanded: the flood of deportees and those seeking asylum in Tijuana has dramatically decreased.
As Rosas detailed, migrants and Mexicans who interact with them directly reported a significant decline in individuals arriving in Baja California's largest city with plans to illegally cross the border. Even more telling, shelters and government officials have observed a marked drop in deportees sent into Tijuana. This isn't due to fewer deportations, but rather a strategic shift by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fly Mexican nationals further south, sometimes even to other Latin American countries, effectively disincentivizing repeated illegal crossings.
“For migrants from Mexico and other countries who want to cross into the United States, the situation becomes more difficult every day, and the risks become much greater…At a certain point, that has caused people to stop coming to the border,” said José María García Lara, the coordinator for the Tijuana Migrant Alliance.
This is the clear, decisive action American voters demanded, and it's validating to see it working. The numbers speak for themselves.
Diana Ortiz Villacorta Ramírez, the municipal director for Migrant Services in Tijuana, confirmed the change, noting deportations from the U.S. have extended as far south as Villahermosa, Tabasco (a 45-hour drive) and Tapachula, Chiapas (a 48-hour drive).
“Last year, we were receiving 100 or 200 people a day. Right now, we receive 10, 15 or 20 people,” she explained.
It's no surprise that many of those interviewed are deeply invested in seeing the border crossings surge once more. Their accounts are riddled with predictable Democrat and leftist talking points: cries of "violent raids," "women ripped from their families," and children "disappeared." They bemoan "horrible conditions" for detainees or deportations to countries other than their original homeland. Even legal citizens, they gasp, are "being swept up"! This is the standard, tired claptrap from individuals, political parties, and organizations that line their pockets from unchecked illegal immigration and are now resentful that their gravy train has been abruptly halted. Because of course they are.
García Lara emphasized that DHS videos and images from anti-ICE activists depicting “very aggressive” arrests effectively communicate to people in Latin America that the United States “does not want any more migrants in the country. That has resulted in far fewer migrants arriving here in border cities such as Tijuana.”
He estimates Tijuana has seen an astounding 80% decrease in migrants of all nationalities coming to the city.
“Many people definitely returned to their cities of origin. Others returned to their countries of origin,” Villacorta Ramírez noted. For the remaining migrants near the border, “we have seen the successful integration of many people, repatriated Mexicans as well as foreigners, of course.”
Indeed, one individual candidly admitted that many illegal aliens are simply biding their time, moving further north and staging themselves until Democrats inevitably regain power, whether after the midterms or in 2028. They know exactly which political party greases their path.
While Tijuana has undergone significant changes, that doesn't mean migrants aren't closely watching the upcoming elections in November and 2028. Social media continues to show some migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Yet, Central and South Americans who were part of a caravan that departed southern Mexico in June told Rosas they were heading north partly because they anticipate an easier time crossing should Democrats win the presidency and reverse Trump’s policies again.
Another woman points to the Trump administration's vigorous attempts to eliminate birthright citizenship as a significant deterrent. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court initially pushing back on Trump's original executive order, the administration continues to relentlessly pursue new avenues to enforce common-sense immigration laws, often battling activist judges who seek to undermine national sovereignty.
Yesenia Ardón, who has lived by the border for seven years after leaving El Salvador, stated, “Many people have chosen to stay because they have heard those comments,” referring to Trump’s desire to end birthright citizenship. “At the same time, they are afraid because they have heard about people being sent as far away as Africa.”
The latest deportation statistics unequivocally confirm that the administration's efforts are paying off, with nearly three million illegal migrants having been removed from our nation.
While some of us might still yearn for an even swifter pace, this represents a phenomenal start. According to a preliminary analysis of government numbers from the Center for Immigration Studies, President Trump has cut the illegal immigrant population by 2.3 million since taking office. The legal immigrant population also decreased by some 600,000 from January 2025 to July 2026. This monumental achievement marks the first time in nearly a century—since the 1930s—that the U.S. has recorded a sustained net decrease in migration, with the country’s overall population likely to show an unprecedented decline.
These robust policies, initiated with the highly effective Remain in Mexico program, remain powerful tools in the DHS arsenal. Moreover, as detailed, DHS's brilliant utilization of social media has broadcast a resounding message: if you are here illegally, we will find you, we will apprehend you, and we will send you back to where you came from. If that homeland refuses to accept you, we will locate another country that will. But one thing is certain: you cannot and will not remain here. FULL STOP. This is what 'America First' enforcement looks like.
The administration's strategic use of social media on immigration issues is also providing Americans with a literal "perp walk" of criminal illegals who have been apprehended, showcasing the undeniable effectiveness of our reinforced enforcement apparatus.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin consistently reinforces the administration's tough and directed stance, leaving no doubt about America's commitment to securing its borders.
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Perhaps the most telling segment of Rosas' interviews comes at the very end. Alejandro Martinez, who entered the U.S. illegally in 1961, was only deported back to Mexico 14 years ago, after committing a felony and serving time. Martinez, who for 40 years collected Social Security benefits derived from honest American taxpayers, was stripped of those benefits upon deportation. His embittered criticisms of the Trump administration policies predictably spill over into his commentary.
Cue the tiny violins. Martinez is entirely lacking in self-awareness. The American voters who brought President Trump back into office have zero concern for his self-pity; they are simply saying, with one unified voice, "More of this, please."
WATCH [start video at 6:46]:
