When Joe Biden let in untold millions of illegal aliens at our southern boundary with his “let them all in” immigration policies, net migration grew at a historic pace of 2.3 million annually during his first three years in office. The New York Times reported that it was the "largest surge" in U.S. history.
While virtually everyone residing in this country has an immigrant in their ancestral history, and immigrants form the backbone of the nation, unfettered, unvetted mass immigration — often illegal — is not the way to operate in the modern age. It causes economic chaos and security issues out the wazoo when we have no idea who’s coming into the homeland.
Donald Trump, of course, has taken an entirely different path than his predecessor and has shut down the border, imposed more stringent visa requirements, and clamped down on refugee programs. The result? Something we haven’t seen in half a century:
Net migration to the United States fell by between 10,000 and 295,000 in 2025, according to an update of estimates first released in the summer by economists Wendy Edelberg and Tara Watson, of center-left Brookings, and Stan Veuger, of the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
New @BrookingsInst research shows there was a significant drop-off in entries to the United States in 2025 relative to 2024, estimating that net migration was between -10,000 and -295,000 in 2025, the first time in at least half a century it has been negative.
— Brookings Econ (@BrookingsEcon) January 13, 2026
In a new… pic.twitter.com/FmtugUAjvN
In a new analysis, the authors assess what the numbers will be in 2026 and how that will affect the U.S. macroeconomy.
The repatriation efforts by the Trump administration, which continue as you read this, have played a part, but according to the researchers, there are other factors that are playing an even more powerful role:
While arrests and deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been in the spotlight, the report’s authors attribute the majority of the drop-off in immigration to a slowdown in new arrivals orchestrated by President Donald Trump’s administration — from the near-closure of the U.S.-Mexico border to new visa restrictions and fees and the end of many humanitarian migrant programs, including for nearly all refugees.
Trump has made no secret of his plans to revamp how things are done and made his intentions clear in a Thanksgiving Message:
Reverse migration. "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden's Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net… pic.twitter.com/Dnd7wvtqjf
— Katy Grimes (@KATYSaccitizen) November 28, 2025
I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden's Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.
Other than that, Happy Thanksgiving to all.
MORE: Rubio Calls Out Europe: U.S. Embassies Ordered to Report on Mass Migration Abuses
Poll: Americans Favor Less Legal Migration, Plurality Demand Cuts or Halt
The Brookings numbers are disputed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which used lower numbers of deportations and voluntary repatriations to arrive at a net migration number of +400,000. The Trump administration argues the opposite, meanwhile, saying that there were more deportations and voluntary exits than Brookings counted, and the net migration number actually shows even more of a decline than their estimate.
Many on the left are already complaining that the lowered immigration numbers will negatively impact the economy. “Reduced migration will dampen growth in the labor force, consumer spending, and gross domestic product (GDP),” wrote Brookings.
Would they prefer the chaotic deluge of immigrants with no oversight, as we saw with the Biden administration? Many on the right argue that, in addition to the disturbing humanitarian crisis Joe’s policies created, they caused rents to go up, jobs to go to illegals who were more than happy to work under the table for less than minimum wage, and a massive drain on our resources.
Immigrants (legal ones) are good for the country, and have always been good for the country — when they assimilate. However, unless the process is orderly, rational, and fair, it does not work in our favor. Trump was right to put the hammer down on the insanity, and I have little doubt that America will still be a place where many dreamers want to move to in the future.
They just have to do it the right way.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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