Making America Safe Again: The State of DHS Under President Trump and Secretary Noem

The Department of Homeland Security continues its historic progress in keeping the Homeland secure 

WASHINGTON – In honor of President Donald J. Trump’s first State of the Union Speech as the 47th President of the United States, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is expressing gratitude to the hard-working men and women of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that work every day to make America safe again. President Trump’s return to office has marked one of the most consequential periods of action and reform in American history and a return to policies that place the safety and security of American citizens first and foremost. 

Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS is restoring the rule of law, delivering the most secure border ever, removing dangerous illegal aliens, creating safer communities, strengthening cyber defense, fixing disaster response, launching initiatives that are reshaping American travel, and making America safer for generations to come.   

Despite our historic successes, Democrat Politicians on Capitol Hill have shut down DHS, depriving many of our brave men and women who protect our national security of their paychecks—putting the livelihood of them and their families in jeopardy. Despite this, the Department will continue to carry out its mission to keep the homeland secure. 

 “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,” said Secretary Kristi Noem, “Total border apprehensions under the Trump Administration’s first year in office were lower than a single month under the Biden Administration. Meanwhile, we have saved taxpayers more than $13.2 billion here at DHS. Countless lives have been saved, communities have been strengthened, and the American people have been put first again." 

Thanks to DHS, the State of the Union is freer, safer, and more prosperous. Below are some of the Department’s victories for the American people.   

The Most Secure American Border EVER 

President Trump ran on securing the border and fixing the border crisis that took place under his predecessor Joe Biden. Since his return to office, President Trump has delivered the most secure border in U.S. history. 

• Border enforcement: CBP recorded its lowest border-crossing totals in agency history during the past year, thanks to the end of catch-and-release, consistent use of detention and removal authorities, and a clear message that illegal entry into the United States will not be rewarded. 
  • Total U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border in the administration’s first year (90,084) were lower than a single average month under the Biden administration (155,485).  
  • Daily encounters declined by 95 percent, with southwest border apprehensions averaging approximately 250 per day, compared to more than 5,100 per day previously.  
  • Nationwide apprehensions averaged under 9,000 per month, a level of sustained deterrence never previously achieved in border history. 
  • For the past nine months, the U.S. Border Patrol has released zero illegal aliens into the country. 
• Smart Wall Construction: CBP and DHS are working to seal the border by finishing the border wall with funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
  • CBP is utilizing $46.5 billion in funding to construct a Smart Wall, which includes a steel bollard wall, roads, detection technology, cameras, lighting, and in some cases, a waterborne barrier or a secondary wall – creating a double layer barrier. 
  • CBP has already placed more than $13.6 billion on new contracts for Smart Wall construction, and the remaining funds will be awarded on border wall construction contracts by mid-2026. 
• Drug Seizures:  As the nation’s frontline border security agency, CBP seized 617,648 pounds of illicit drugs nationwide over the past year (Jan. 21, 2025, to Jan. 31, 2026) — an 8 percent increase over the previous year. This included 10,915 pounds of fentanyl, 186,359 pounds of methamphetamine, and significant quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, preventing deadly narcotics from reaching American streets. 
  • Drugs seized from Feb. 1, 2025, through Jan. 31, 2025 (622,900 lbs.) were more than the same period for the prior 12 months (572,241 lbs.) and more than in recent years.  
• Big Beautiful Bill Funding: President Trump signed a landmark $65 billion border security bill, the largest investment in border security in a generation, affirming that border security is national security.
  • The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers a comprehensive combination of modern infrastructure, advanced technology, and increased law enforcement staffing to counter transnational criminal organizations and the smuggling of illegal narcotics, including fentanyl.
  • Under the leadership of President Trump, the administration has empowered our agents and officers to do their job again.  As a result, CBP has delivered the most secure border in American history.   
• CBP, in partnership with DHS and the White House FIFA World Cup Task Force, is preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to ensure the safety and smooth travel of millions of fans. BCBP’s efforts from pre-arrival vetting and trusted traveler programs to advanced technology and coordination with FIFA, international partners, and local law enforcement will protect the nation while supporting the economic boost from tourism, local business, and international investment. Fans from around the world will be welcomed to enjoy a seamless, world-class experience. 

Protecting Americans from the Worst of the Worst Illegal Aliens and Criminals

Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS has arrested and deported hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens across the country, including gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers, thanks to the brave men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), CBP, and other law enforcement and immigration enforcement agencies.  

• Nearly 3 million illegal aliens are out of the country. These numbers include an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and more than 713,000 deportations.
• ICE has been instrumental in preventing terror threats, with over 1,538 known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) being arrested, and 1,534 KSTs removed.
  • 49,740 special interest aliens have been arrested.
• ICE and CBP have conducted operations in cities nationwide, resulting in hundreds of thousands of arrests.
  • These arrests include 7,808 gang arrests, including 1,232 individuals associated with Tren de Aragua and 1,271 individual MS-13 gang members.
• In late December, ICE announced the successful conclusion of Operation Angel’s Honor, a 14-day operation named in honor of Laken Riley, during which the agency arrested more than 1,030 criminal illegal aliens under the authority of the Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in 2025 and mandates that any illegal alien who has been accused of a violent crime such as theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, or any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury must be placed under arrest.    
• More than 220,000 Americans applied for ICE, paving the way for the agency increase its size by 120% to help President Trump deliver on his signature promise of mass deportations.  

This tremendous enforcement of the law has resulted in safer cities, plummeting fentanyl overdoses, cheaper rents, higher wages, and a better quality of life for millions of Americans. 

Located 145,000 Children Lost Under the Biden Administration 

Under President Trump, DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services have located 145,000 unaccompanied children that the Biden administration lost. Too many of these children were exploited and abused before, during, and after being trafficked over our borders. All told, the Biden administration lost more than 450,000 children because of its open border policies. We will continue to ramp up efforts and will not stop until every last child is found. 

Ushering in the Golden Age of Travel 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is ushering in the Golden Age of Travel. 

• 8 of TSA’s 10 highest screening days were in 2025. 
• 2.5 billion checked and carry-on bags screened in President Trump’s first year. 
• TSA officers detected tens of millions of dollars of cash being flown to foreign destinations. 
• TSA ended the Obama-era “Quiet Skies” program, which was used to spy on Americans, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, as well as members of Congress. 
• TSA launched the “Shoes On” Campaign, allowing travelers to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. 
• TSA successfully implemented REAL ID on May 7 and achieved 94% compliance, which continues to steadily increase. 
  • Increased REAL ID compliance rate is up to 99% at some airports.
• Launched TSA ConfirmID on Feb 1 for travelers who show up without a REAL ID or other form of acceptable ID. Ensures non-compliant passengers pay for this processing, as opposed to the American taxpayer.    
• TSA launched two targeted campaigns including the “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease” campaign and the “Families on the Fly” campaign, and the first-ever TSA PreCheck® Buy One, Get One.  

Putting the U.S. Citizen First in America’s Immigration System  

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is restoring integrity to our nation’s immigration policies and has instituted dynamic changes to ensure that only individuals who love America, align with our culture, and share our values, are welcomed into the country. Most importantly, Secretary Noem and President Trump are making sure that any form of legal immigration will benefit the U.S. citizen and does not pose harm to our well-bring and way of life.  

• In President Trump’s first year, USCIS made history with its fraud investigation, Operation Twin Shield, the agency’s largest enforcement operation to date. Launched in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, USCIS focused on more than 1,000 cases that had fraud or ineligibility indicators, attempted over 2,000 site visits to homes and workplaces, and completed nearly 1,500 in-person interviews with aliens during the operation. USCIS found evidence of fraud, non-compliance with immigration law, or public safety or national security concerns in more than 500 of cases, including the case of a serial fraudster working as a Minnesota corrections officer. 
• USCIS is implementing the Department of Homeland Security’s new rule to prioritize the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens, which will better American protect wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers. 
• In January, USCIS announced a new rule that reduces wait times for thousands of religious organizations and their communities—including priests, nuns, and rabbis—who previously were required to remain outside the United States before returning to resume their essential services. This rule protects and preserves freedom and expression of religion while easing burdens on those who shape the social and moral fabric of the country. 
• USCIS has once again empowered law enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws and they have done so in historic numbers. Since January 20, 2025, USCIS officers have issued nearly 230,000 Notices to Appear to place aliens in removal proceedings. 
• USCIS has begun recruiting Homeland Defenders and received more than 82,000 applications, the most in agency history. These individuals will better support the agency’s mission and bolster efforts to combat fraud and other threats and began reporting for duty in early December 2025. 
• Within hours of the November 26 attack where an Afghan national murdered one National Guard member and severely wounded another in Washington, DC, Secretary Noem directed USCIS to put asylum processing on hold for aliens from every country, implemented a full-scale reexamination of every green card for aliens from every presidentially designated high-risk country, and placed a hold on the processing of immigration applications and petitions for all Afghan nationals and aliens from those countries of concern.
• USCIS is advancing the administration’s and Secretary Noem’s goal of ending the abuse and exploitation in certain immigration programs. This includes stopping broad abuse of humanitarian parole authority and terminating the family reunification and the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) parole programs and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, and Yemen.  

Securing Maritime Borders and Revamping the United States Coast Guard 

The U.S. Coast Guard is smashing records and being revitalized into one of the world’s most elite fighting forces that can meet the challenges of the 21st century. 

• Through Force Design 2028, the Coast Guard is implementing major structural reforms, including the establishment of a Deployable Specialized Forces Command, expansion of training capacity, and rapid acquisition of next-generation assets. 
• The Coast Guard seized over 547,000 pounds of illegal narcotics – a record-setting amount nearly three times its normal annual average – worth more than $3.9 billion.
  • These USCG counter drug operations disrupted transnational criminal organizations and prevented more than 206 million lethal doses from reaching U.S. communities, saving taxpayers over $10 billion in avoided costs, including $2.27 billion in healthcare expenses.
• Coast Guard crews saved over 5,200 lives and protected more than $1 billion in property through thousands of search and rescue missions and rapid responses to major contingencies. 
• Force Design 2028 drove record-setting recruitment, exceeding 110 percent of active-duty enlisted goals and accessing over 6,000 new members, the highest since 1991.
  • The Coast Guard is on track to expand the force by 15,000 members, ensuring a mission-ready workforce to meet evolving demands. 
• The Coast Guard used advanced unmanned systems and intelligence-driven patrols to secure over 100,000 miles of U.S. border by interdicting, deterring, or transporting over 12,000 illegal aliens, which increased interdictions by 44 percent in key regions.  
• The Coast Guard enabled the safe movement of 1.8 billion tons of cargo, an increase of 13 percent from the previous year, supporting an economic engine projected to move $5.4 trillion in goods in 2026.
• Since December, Coast Guard elite tactical teams supported by the Departments of War, Justice, and State, led operations against “dark fleet” ships, taking law enforcement action against nine illegal vessels. 

Restoring Excellence at the Secret Service 

President Trump and Secretary Noem made it a priority to restore the American people’s confidence in the Secret Service by demanding excellence from the Secret Service, recruiting the best of the best, and giving them the training necessary to carry out their mission. 

• Since President Trump took officer, the Secret Service has conducted over 7,000 protective visits both domestically and overseas.
• The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center delivered the highest number of trainings and briefings in the agency’s history - more than 424 trainings and briefings to more than 63,204 participants. NTAC training recipients included law enforcement agencies, schools, mental health providers, faith-based organizations, government agencies, and private sector entities.
• Completed 33 anti-card skimming and Electronic Benefits Transfer fraud outreach operations in various locations around the United States. These outreach operations prevented an estimated $485 million in fraud loss. 

Improved Federal Law Enforcement Training 

Thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and Secretary Noem’s vision, the American people provided Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) with $750 million in long-needed funding, more than doubling its annual resources, to enhance the training and readiness of U.S. Border Patrol, CBP, and ICE personnel. As a result, FLETC provided federal law enforcement with the skills, leadership, and training necessary to tackle the threats of tomorrow and to defend the rule of law. 

• Since President Trump took office, FLETC has been expanding nationwide law enforcement collaboration by facilitating ICE’s 287(g) Training Program.
  • To date, approximately 18,500 officers across 50 states and five territories have registered and over 12,500 have completed the training, strengthening partnerships between federal and local law enforcement agencies.
  • Trained over 73,000 law enforcement personnel, the second highest number in FLETC’s 55-year history.
  • That includes thousands of personnel from state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement personnel from 51 states and five territories.
• FLETC achieved record-breaking training—the highest attendance levels since 2007—by supporting over 1,000 USBP trainees daily at FLETC in Artesia, New Mexico, and demonstrating a commitment to scaling operations to meet growing security demands.
• Enhancing Coast Guard training by providing service members with the skills to counter waterborne threat from personal watercraft.
• Now, FLETC projects to train approximately 90,000 law enforcement personnel over the course of President Trump’s second year in office, meeting the needs of our training partners within DHS and across other federal agencies. 

Ending the Censorship of Americans and Defending our Critical Infrastructure 

 Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, CISA returned back to its mission and remains steadfast in safeguarding the systems Americans rely on every day in the first year. 

• Under the Trump Administration, CISA has strengthened collective defense by publishing more than 1,600 products and triaged 30,000+ incidents through CISA’s 24/7 Operations Center – keeping critical systems secure. 
• CISA has stopped 2.62 billion malicious connections on federal civilian networks and 371 million within critical infrastructure during the Trump Administration. 
• CISA is enhancing preparedness nationwide by leading almost 150 cyber and physical security exercises with 10,000+ participants, helping partners refine emergency plans and boost local and national resilience. 
• Following Executive Order 14305, “Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty,” CISA published the Be Air Aware™ suite of security guides in November to help organization detect, respond to, and safely manage Unmanned Aircraft System Threats.  

Fixing Federal Disaster Response and Protecting the American People 

Under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, FEMA has been reformed to empower states and support state-led recoveries faster than ever. 

•  President Trump approved a historic 12 federal emergency disaster declarations for Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia – unlocking FEMA resources and enabling states to access critical federal resources to supplement their response efforts.  

At Secretary Noem’s direction, FEMA has conducted a critical evaluation of all grant programs and recipients to root out waste, fraud and abuse and deliver accountability for the American taxpayer. As a result, FEMA has achieved:  

• Radical Transparency and Contract Management: FEMA’s rigorous contract reviews led to the termination of 118 contracts, generating $31.2 million in savings and $82 million in total cost avoidance, ensuring mission alignment and cost-effectiveness. 
• Fraud Prevention and Investigations: FEMA conducted fraud investigations safeguarding up to $1.3 billion from external fraud, protecting taxpayer resources and disaster assistance funds. 
• Accelerated State-Led Recovery Funding: FEMA expedited 106 Public Assistance projects across nine states, delivering $762 million in upfront funding—empowering states to lead and streamline their own recovery. 
• Reducing the Amount of Time Between Funding Requests and Obligation: In 2025, the average number of days between when a state requested Public Assistance and when they received funding dropped by 160 days compared to the previous year.  
• Record Disaster Assistance to Communities and Individuals: FEMA approved nearly $2.2 billion in Individual Assistance to households and obligated $15.3 billion in Public Assistance for communities and critical infrastructure, ensuring resources reach those in need. 
• Modernized Survivor Assistance Tools: FEMA improved the disaster assistance process by launching new digital tools—including an application status tracker, clearer help text, guided videos, simplified letters, and expanded payment options. The digitized payment system accelerated delivery of assistance from 2–3 weeks to 1–2 days.  

As of January 28, FEMA has approved more than 3,860 applications for disaster assistance in central Texas following the severe storms and flooding – providing more than $39.9 million to eligible individuals and families to cover uninsured losses and serious needs. In addition, FEMA has provided more than $33.7 million in funding for emergency work and to help rebuild damaged infrastructure in the affected communities.  

• FEMA continues to support hurricanes Helene and Milton recovery efforts with more than $11 billion in grants to survivors, reimbursements to communities, and flood insurance payments.  
  • Nearly $2 billion has been obligated to the state to reimburse Florida communities for debris removal, critical infrastructure repairs and emergency efforts. 
    • $608 million has been obligated for debris removal. These funds helped with the removal of more than 31.67 million cubic yards of disaster related debris. 
  • FEMA has provided more than $1.7 billion to help Floridians with uninsured losses from Helene and Milton. FEMA, in collaboration with the state of Florida, has provided temporary housing units to a total of 649 families. To date, 309 of those families have already moved into more permanent housing solutions and 28 families purchased their unit. 
  • Nearly $7.6 billion has been paid to 76,274 families in the National Flood Insurance Program. 
    • $6.4 billion paid on 49,284 Helene claims. 
    • $1.2 billion paid on 16,585 Milton claims.  

FEMA has led the way in providing recovery support for the Helene Disaster Recovery throughout the South. 

• North Carolina:
  • $558.3 million approved for 160,888 households, including money for rent, basic home repairs and other disaster-caused needs. 
  • $1.3 billion obligated to the state for 2,137 Helene recovery projects.  
  • $279 million disbursed by the U.S. Small Business Administration in low-interest disaster loans. 
  • 32 households are living in FEMA temporary housing units.  To date, 212 families have moved to more permanent housing. Of those, 59 families purchased their FEMA unit. 
  • 6,074 households have received rental assistance. 
  • 12,545 families have received $34 million for repair or replacement of private-access roads and bridges.  
  • Over 7 million cubic yards of debris has been cleared from public rights of way. 
  • The waterway debris mission has removed 7.3 million cubic yards of debris. 
  • $47.7 million has been obligated through the Hazard Mitigation Grants Program. 
  • $218 million paid in claims by the National Flood Insurance Program. 
• Georgia:
  • $393.2 million approved for 220,655 households, for Individual Assistance which includes money for rent, basic home repairs and other disaster-caused needs.  
  • More than $1.35 billion approved for more than 1,650 Public Assistance recovery projects.  
  • Over 43 million cubic yards of debris has been cleared from public rights of way. 
  • $31.18 million paid in claims by the National Flood Insurance Program. 
  • 58 households are living in FEMA temporary housing units. To date, 61 families have moved to more permanent housing. Of those, 56 families have purchased their FEMA unit. 

Securing the Largest Sporting Event in History

The DHS World Cup Coordination Office led Departmental coordination for the whole-of-government effort to ensure the safety and security of the 2025 FIFA Club Cup and upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.  

• The DHS World Cup Coordination Office is playing a central role in efforts to secure all aspects of the unprecedented 2026 FIFA World Cup activities – including the safety and movement of fans and players, the matches, official Fan Festival events, locally sponsored events, and team base camps.
• The Office will coordinate DHS support to the equivalent of 78 Super Bowls held over 39 days, with more than 10 million visitors expected in the U.S. alone, and global viewership anticipated at rates 10 times higher than a single game. 
• In October 2025, FEMA announced over $1 Billion in federal funding through the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) and the FIFA World Cup Grant Programs.
  • In December 2025, FEMA awarded the first $250 million of this funding. This was the fastest non-disaster grant program ever executed by FEMA.  

Assisted and Helped in Intelligence Collection to Protect the American People 

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have collaborated to counter threats from China to the U.S. space and information technology sectors. 

• I&A has nominated over 5,000 people to the terrorist watchlist since January 2025, working with DHS components, federal partners, and state and local law enforcement to ensure the Worst of the Worst are removed from America’s communities. 
• In the past year, the DHS Intelligence Enterprise has published over 100 intelligence reports on these threats to the U.S. Homeland. 
• Since January 2025, I&A has published nearly 1,000 analytic products, more than half of which were released for broad consumption by State, Local, Tribal, Territorial and Private Sector partners throughout the U.S. These insights enabled strategic advantage over various threats to the U.S. border, economy, and critical infrastructure.  
• Following encounters with CBP at various ports of entry, I&A successfully discovered derogatory information on 80 percent of the devices encountered from persons of interest seeking entry into the U.S. This includes Rasha Alawieh, the Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University who attended Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral. I&A discovered that Alawieh had numerous contacts with known or suspected terrorists, affirming CBP’s decision to deny entry and the State Department’s decision to revoke her visa.  

In President Trump’s first year, DHS also launched the critically acclaimed, groundbreaking new web page, “Worst of the Worst” (wow.dhs.gov), which allows visitors to search through some of the hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens arrested during enforcement operations since the start of the Trump administration.   

DHS is just getting started under President Donald Trump and Secretary Noem. The best is yet to come.