Border Patrol Has Released No One For 16 Months Straight
Fentanyl seizures reached 773 pounds and cocaine seizures rose 28% to 6,724 pounds in August, even as crossings kept falling, DHS reports.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Sept. 16, 2026 release reports zero border-parole releases for 16 straight months, through August 2026.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin: "Catch and release is over, consequences are back, and illegal crossings have fallen to historic lows."
- Southwest border apprehensions fell to 8,870 in August, 94% below the previous administration's daily pace.
Why it matters: Sixteen months without a single release shows a border is only ever as open as the state allows.