Border patrol agents say the recent shutdown of a temporary holding facility in the Rio Grande Valley is proof the Trump administration is on the right track with regards to border security and illegal immigration.
The 'tent city' facility opened in December in response to a surge in illegal aliens crossing into Texas, but just as fast as it went up, the 150 agents assigned there tore it down and went back to their respective posts.
“I think it is a direct result of Trump taking office, just the rhetoric that catch-and-release is coming to an end seems to strike fear into people,” says Chris Cabrera, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council.
“We had a little spike right before President Trump took office, then it seemed to climb even higher, and then here recently its not down to a trickle, but it slowed significantly,” he says.
Month-to-month apprehensions of family units dropped 42 percent in January, unaccompanied children were down 39 percent.
“Down here, very few people are turning themselves, everybody went back to the tradiditional method of getting smuggled,” adds Cabrera, who is hoping other Trump policies will help put an end to the 'coyote' smugglers as well.