Just one year ago, President Joe Biden claimed he was powerless to stop the flood of illegal immigration at the southern border without new legislation from Congress. But now, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, America is seeing a historic reversal in migration trends — and even CNN is acknowledging it.
According to CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, the United States is now on track to see negative net migration in 2025 — the first time in over half a century that more people have left the country than entered it.
“Net migration is down at least 60 percent,” Enten said. “We may be dealing with negative net migration to the United States in 2025 — the first time that’s happened in at least 50 years.”
Biden Border Chaos vs. Trump Enforcement
Under the Biden administration in 2024, net migration reached a staggering 2.8 million, fueled by open-border policies, catch-and-release practices, and an overwhelmed immigration system.
But in just a matter of months, President Trump’s second term has reversed course:
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Tariffs have surged to the highest levels in nearly a century
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ICE is operational again, conducting nationwide enforcement sweeps
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Facilities like “Alligator Alcatraz” are processing and deporting illegal aliens swiftly
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And the southern border is effectively closed
“This is a big deal,” Enten admitted. “We’re seeing record-low immigration levels — way down from where we were during the Biden administration.”
The Trump Effect: Deportations, Repatriations, and Self-Deportations
While CNN’s data doesn’t separate legal vs. illegal migration, the smart money says a significant chunk of the outmigration is driven by people who shouldn’t have been here in the first place:
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Illegal aliens being repatriated
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Foreign nationals self-deporting due to increased enforcement
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Border apprehensions followed by immediate removals
Trump’s message in 2024 was crystal clear: end the chaos, restore order, and put American sovereignty first. He’s now delivering on that promise.
Economic Shift: Jobs Returning to Americans
Further cementing Trump’s success, recent jobs data reveals a stark shift in the labor market:
Last 4 months:
The numbers show a clear reversal of the Biden-era trend, where mass migration flooded the labor market, driving down wages and crowding out American workers.
