DHS Chief Noem: Two Leakers Identified, Face 10 Years; Vance at Border: 98% Reduction; “From 11,000 to 200”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced on March 8, 2025, that her department had “identified two leakers of information who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” saying they faced “up to 10 years in federal prison.” Border Czar Tom Homan reported that crossings had plummeted “from an average of 10 to 11,000 a day under Biden to 200” and getaways from “1,800 a day to 41.” VP Vance, visiting Eagle Pass, cited a “98% reduction of border crossings” and thanked Border Patrol officers who “just want to be empowered to do their jobs.” Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks confirmed that Mexico had deployed troops to its northern border to prevent migrants from reaching the U.S.

Noem: “Two Leakers Identified”

Noem opened with the enforcement announcement that the administration had been promising since the first weeks of the term.

“We have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” Noem said. “We plan to prosecute these two individuals and hold them accountable for what they’ve done.”

She stated the consequences: “These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison.”

Noem issued the broader warning: “We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time, and we will get justice for the American people.”

The leaks had been a persistent problem since the administration launched its immigration enforcement operations. Multiple raids had been compromised by advance media reports that warned targets and allowed them to flee before agents arrived.

Noem cited specific examples of leaked operations. “You’re looking at video from an ICE raid in Aurora, Colorado, last month. I was on that operation. It failed. It leaked. There were media reports that the raid was coming days in advance,” she said. “The same thing happened for an operation in Los Angeles. Another operation in Virginia just leaked a few days ago. There was also another leak in Chicago.”

She described the pattern: “These leaks have been widespread. It has happened multiple times. They have seemed to be getting worse and worse.”

The identification of two specific individuals — with felony referrals to the DOJ — transformed the leaker problem from an abstract concern to a concrete criminal matter. The 10-year sentence potential sent a message to any other DHS employees considering tipping off the media or advocacy groups about upcoming enforcement operations.

Homan: “11,000 to 200”

Border Czar Tom Homan provided the most dramatic border statistics yet, using daily averages that illustrated the transformation in real-time terms.

“President Trump did in three weeks what Joe Biden didn’t do in four years,” Homan said.

He then addressed the Biden-era bipartisan border bill that Democrats had argued was necessary to solve the crisis. “That bipartisan border bill — look, I respect Senator Lankford. He called me, walked through that bill with me. He asked me to support,” Homan said. “I said, no. I’m not okay with four or 5,000 illegal immigrants a day crossing this border being normal. I don’t want that in statute.”

Homan then cited the numbers that validated his opposition to the bill. “What President Trump did — we went from an average at the highs of 10 to 11,000 a day under Biden to 200,” he said. “11,000 to 200.”

He added the gotaway statistics: “The gotaways that I spoke about — 1,800 a day average under Joe Biden. No — I saw the other day, 41. 1,800 to 41.”

Homan acknowledged the work wasn’t done: “We won’t be happy until those numbers are zero. But look at the strides President Trump made in three weeks. It is amazing. And Joe Biden could have done it.”

The numbers were staggering in their comparison. Encounters: from 11,000/day to 200/day. Gotaways: from 1,800/day to 41/day. Both represented reductions of approximately 98%, achieved in three weeks through executive action alone — without the new legislation that Biden had claimed was necessary.

Vance at Eagle Pass: “98% Reduction”

VP Vance provided the on-the-ground perspective from Eagle Pass, Texas, one of the busiest crossing sectors during the Biden era.

“The reason why we’ve seen, as Pete said, a 98% reduction of border crossings — the reason why this particular site has gone from over 1,500 crossings per day to 30 crossings per day — is because President Trump has empowered and in fact demanded that his whole government take the task of border control seriously,” Vance said.

He paid tribute to the officers: “It is impossible to do without the men and women on the ground who are actually doing the hard work. They just want to be empowered to do their jobs. President Trump has made that possible.”

Vance delivered a personal message: “From the bottom of my heart and for a grateful nation, to every person I’ve met here today — thank you for working hard on the American people’s business.”

Border Patrol Chief: Mexico Deploying Troops

Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks confirmed an international dimension of the border enforcement success that had not been widely reported.

“I do believe we are seeing Mexico put a lot of their troops on our southern border — their northern border — to prevent the illegal immigration from even making it to the border to attempt to cross,” Banks said. “Mexico has been working with us, and we’re continuing to communicate with them as they continue adding additional soldiers on the border.”

Banks placed the Mexican cooperation within the broader context. “I won’t attribute it just to Mexico, but we always need our partners to be involved. But it’s also the state of Texas. It’s our National Guard. It is our DoD resources,” he said.

He then made an observation that carried the weight of a career border professional. “For the first time in my career, you hear the word ‘whole-of-government approach’ used all the time. This is the first time I am seeing a whole-of-government approach,” Banks said.

He listed the components: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office with the prosecutions and delivering consequences for illegal activity. And so honestly, it is a combination of all of the above that is driving these numbers to record lows.”

The revelation that Mexico was voluntarily deploying troops to its northern border was one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of the early second term. Under Biden, Mexico had been largely uncooperative on migration enforcement. Under Trump, the combination of tariff threats and diplomatic pressure had produced active Mexican military deployment to prevent migrants from reaching the U.S. border — a level of cooperation that no previous administration had achieved.

Key Takeaways

• DHS Secretary Noem announced two leakers had been identified within DHS and would face felony prosecution with up to 10 years in prison, citing leaked operations in Aurora, LA, Virginia, and Chicago.
• Border Czar Homan reported daily crossings dropped from “10-11,000 under Biden to 200” and gotaways from “1,800 to 41” — both approximately 98% reductions in three weeks.
• VP Vance confirmed a “98% reduction” at Eagle Pass (1,500/day to 30/day) and thanked Border Patrol officers who “just want to be empowered to do their jobs.”
• Border Patrol Chief Banks confirmed Mexico was deploying troops to prevent migrants from reaching the U.S. border, calling it “the first time in my career” seeing a true “whole-of-government approach.”
• Homan rejected the Biden-era bipartisan border bill: “I’m not okay with 4-5,000 illegal immigrants a day being normal in statute.”