Migrant facilities across the U.S. are closing at a rapid pace as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown leads to a steep drop in illegal border crossings and migrant releases.
From New York to Arizona, state and local governments are shutting down shelters once overwhelmed by border surges. Massachusetts has gone from more than 120 shelters in 2024 to just four, with 24 closures taking place this week alone, according to NBC 10 Boston.
In New York City, 63 migrant shelters have been closed so far this year, PIX11 reported. Meanwhile, Arizona’s Pima County and California’s San Diego County saw key facilities close earlier this year. The Jewish Family Service shelter in San Diego cited the end of the CBP One app and other federal policy shifts as reasons for its February closure.
Texas also saw closures. The San Antonio Migrant Resource Center, opened during a 2022 surge, shut down in February as arrivals dropped significantly, Texas Public Radio reported.
White House Touts ‘Trump Effect’
White House officials credit the closures to what they call the “Trump Effect” — aggressive immigration enforcement and the rollback of Biden-era policies.
“President Trump ended Joe Biden’s illegal alien invasion and ushered in the most secure border ever,” said Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Migrant shelters are shuttering because illegal aliens are no longer being released into our great country.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that it has now shut down all of its temporary “soft-sided” processing facilities in Texas, California, and Arizona due to the sharp decline in apprehensions.
“CBP no longer has a need for them,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Illegal aliens are being quickly removed.”
CBP says it has now reallocated staff from those temporary centers to permanent facilities, enhancing efforts to tighten control over the southern border.
Border Numbers Reach Historic Lows
The Biden-era border crisis appears to have dramatically reversed course. In June, Border Patrol recorded just 6,070 encounters at the southern border — a fraction of the levels seen in prior years. On June 28, there were just 137 border apprehensions nationwide, according to CBP.
In Mexico, fewer migrants are reportedly attempting to cross the border at all, with the Trump administration crediting its restrictive policies and deterrence messaging.
$170 Billion Immigration Bill in Final Stages
The shelter closures come as the Trump-backed reconciliation bill — dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” — nears passage in the House. The sweeping legislation allocates roughly $170 billion toward immigration enforcement, including:
- Funding for an additional 10,000 ICE agents
- Expansion of detention capacity
- Further construction of the border wall
“This historic border security progress will be made permanent,” Huston said, “and the largest mass deportation campaign in American history will be carried out.”
Critics Sound the Alarm
House Democrats have strongly opposed the immigration provisions, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warning of an escalating crackdown.
“A deportation machine will be unleashed on steroids,” Jeffries said during floor remarks on Thursday.
Still, with southern border numbers at record lows and shelters closing coast to coast, the Trump administration is framing the developments as proof its hardline approach is working — and here to stay.
