According to an analysis by the Cato Institute, President Trump’s immigration crackdown has not only significantly reduced illegal immigration to the United States but also led to a substantial decline in legal immigration. In raw numbers, the analysis finds that the Trump administration reduced legal immigration by more than it reduced illegal immigration:
CATO analysis on the early phase of Trump's immigration crackdown:
Refugees down 90%, permanent immigrants down 50% or more, H-1B -25% (-80% for new applicants), students down 40%. Trump not only has a net outflow of illegals but an increasingly narrow entry for legal migrants. pic.twitter.com/EMNcvi6ALo
— Prowler (@derzum_) April 14, 2026
CATO analysis on the early phase of Trump’s immigration crackdown:
Refugees down 90%, permanent immigrants down 50% or more, H-1B -25% (-80% for new applicants), students down 40%. Trump not only has a net outflow of illegals but an increasingly narrow entry for legal migrants.
Illegal immigration was rapidly brought under control after President Donald Trump took office, reflecting one of the core promises of his campaign. According to data cited by the Cato Institute, illegal crossings dropped sharply, with the Department of Homeland Security reporting sustained declines in border encounters as enforcement efforts ramped up and shifted toward broader deportation initiatives.
But what’s getting far less attention is how aggressively the administration has also moved to rein in legal immigration.
The numbers are striking. Asylum admissions effectively collapsed, dropping from nearly 40,000 per month in late 2024 to just a few dozen by early 2025. Refugee admissions have plunged, and immigrant visa issuances have been cut in half, driven in part by expanded country-based restrictions and the suspension of programs like the Diversity Visa Lottery. Even high-skilled visa programs such as H-1B have seen notable declines.
Taken together, the administration has reduced legal immigration at a scale that actually exceeds the drop in illegal crossings, which is exactly what we voted for.
The figures suggest reductions in legal immigration have outpaced declines in illegal immigration by a wide margin, accounting for roughly 72 percent of the overall drop.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has continued to highlight the administration’s immigration policies, emphasizing ongoing efforts to address illegal crossings. He said recently that the Department of Homeland Security is continuing construction of the southern border wall.
The Democrat narrative, “Our immigration system is broken,” is complete BS. It works fine when the existing laws on the books are enforced, which is what Trump is doing. It “breaks” when Democrats break it by not enforcing those laws and flooding our country with tens of millions of people from around the world, many from cultures that clash completely with ours.
