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Accountability Reporting · October 26, 2026

Trump's Claim of Zero Illegal Aliens in 18 Months is Misleading

Permanent article number: 102626027   Find another article by number

By Radical Reading Room Newsroom · Published · From the October 26, 2026 edition

Source-backed political accountability Confidence 3/5

Original article being examined

Published by: Fox News — Latest

Trump reveals dire warning to Macron as violent unrest spreads across Europe — Read the exact original

Claim examined: I think I stopped it. I closed the border. You know that we've had zero infiltration. We've had 0 illegal aliens in the last 18 months.

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Archive transparency: this article has not yet completed the site's newer independent fact-audit process. Its source links are provided below. Do not treat allegations, commentary, or a rating as a legal finding.

Politics
No verified accountability finding This archive item is sourced reporting, not a finding that a claim is false or misleading.
Correction: RRR removed an unsupported statement about the absence of a timeframe and clarified the measures.

Donald Trump claimed on October 25, 2026, that there have been zero illegal aliens in the last 18 months, asserting that the border has been closed and there has been no infiltration. (https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-reveals-dire-warning-macron-violent-unrest-spreads-across-europe)

According to FactCheck.org, the number of immigrants apprehended crossing the southern border has decreased by nearly 91% compared to the last 12 months under President Joe Biden. This indicates that while apprehensions have dropped, there have still been significant illegal border crossings, contradicting Trump's claim of zero illegal aliens. (https://www.factcheck.org/2026/10/trumps-numbers-october-2026-update/)

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that total FY 2026 apprehensions were 60% lower than the Biden administration's single highest month alone. This data shows a significant reduction in border crossings, but it does not support the claim of zero illegal aliens, as it still indicates a substantial number of apprehensions. (https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/leader-board/research/the-republican-agenda-in-action-the-most-secure-southern-border-in-history/) Zero Border Patrol releases mean no illegal aliens were temporarily released into the U.S., while nonzero apprehensions count those caught crossing illegally. FY2026 saw 98,708 apprehensions, with 17 consecutive months of zero releases through September 2026. (https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/leader-board/research/the-republican-agenda-in-action-the-most-secure-southern-border-in-history/; https://www.factcheck.org/2026/10/trumps-numbers-october-2026-update/)

The claim that there have been zero illegal aliens in the last 18 months is misleading, as data shows a significant number of apprehensions and gotaways.

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