Fact-check · Nov 2, 2026 · Donald Trump
“We've gone seventeen months without one person entering our country illegally from the southern border.”
MISLEADINGSaid in 2 broadcasts
What the record shows
CBP reports 17 consecutive months of zero releases of apprehended illegal aliens into the interior. However, Border Patrol recorded 98,708 encounters with unauthorized immigrants at the southwest border in FY2026 and 8,900+ attempted crossings in August 2026 alone.
Claim conflates 'zero releases' (apprehended aliens not released into interior) with 'zero entries' (no illegal border crossings). Thousands entered illegally; they were apprehended, not released.
Sources
- DHS records best year ever at southern border; zero catch-and-release cases
- CBP Releases May 2025 Monthly Update
- Tenth Straight Month of Zero Illegal Aliens Released at the Border
- BORDER BRIEF: FY25 Southwest Border Apprehensions Hit Lowest Level in Half a Century as Law Enforcement Faces Threats
- Another record-setting month at CBP: Border continues to be most secure in history
- 13th Consecutive Month of Zero Releases at Southern Border: CBP
Every time it was said
2 times, Oct 20, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026 · 1 misleading · 1 false
MisleadingFalse
The verdicts differ. Differences come from changes in the wording or in what each check found. Each check is linked below.
Oct 20, 2026FALSE
Nov 2, 2026MISLEADING
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