Texas Border Resident: “It’s Like Night and Day” Since Trump Took Office
Jaime Aguilar says illegal border crossings have dropped dramatically and Border Patrol agents are finally being allowed to do their jobs.
DEL RIO, TEXAS — Jaime Aguilar has lived near the southern border for years, but he says the dramatic change he’s seen in recent months is unlike anything before.
“For all intents and purposes, our border was under the operational control of drug cartels,” Aguilar said. “Now, it’s like night and day.”
Aguilar, who lives and works in Del Rio, Texas—just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border—described a community overwhelmed in recent years by mass illegal crossings, overwhelmed shelters, and public safety concerns.
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“At one point, we had 16,000 or 17,000 Haitian immigrants under our international bridge,” he said, referencing a widely reported migrant surge. “You would see a lot of immigrants just walking up and down our streets... It made a lot of people uneasy.”
He says that changed quickly after President Trump took office in January.
“The effect was almost overnight,” Aguilar said. “Trump has been very effective. There’s now a deterrent.”
According to Aguilar, it’s not just about policies like “Remain in Mexico” or stricter enforcement. It’s also about morale.
“Border Patrol agents were frustrated, exhausted. They weren’t allowed to do their jobs,” he said. “Now they can.”
Aguilar also pointed to what he called dangerous oversights under the previous administration.
“During the Biden years, they dropped the vetting process from 48 questions down to five,” he said. “It felt like efficiency was prioritized over national security.”
He believes the shift in enforcement is having ripple effects.
“Mexico is helping now. They’ve sent troops to their northern border,” he said. “The number of illegal crossings has gone down dramatically.”
He also noted that the media hasn’t covered the current conditions at the border as heavily.
“When things were bad, the media was all over Del Rio,” Aguilar said. “Now that it’s improved, they’re not here.”
Aguilar emphasized that border security shouldn’t be a partisan issue.
“I have Democrat friends here who still believe in a strong, secure border,” he said. “You don’t have to be Republican or Democrat to not want MS-13 or Iranian sleeper cells in the country.”
His hope is that the country sees the real situation on the ground—not just political spin.
“These Border Patrol agents just want to keep people safe,” he said. “Now they’re finally being allowed to.”