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The Trump administration's claim of "zero" border crossings is falling apart

Axios · · 623 words · By Brittany Gibson
Border Security Efficacy Political accountability Migration Trends
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Daily briefing

What to know about Border Security Efficacy

Why it matters: The rush of migrants seeking asylum has stopped.

Claims checked 13
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left14%
Center72%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters: The rush of migrants seeking asylum has stopped.

Why it matters

But smugglers and cartels are workingas hard as ever.

Common ground

"We're still seeing the groups cross in the very difficult terrain to work, head-to-toe camouflage, large backpacks, things like that," says Capt.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Flag-Waving: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.axios.com/2026/05/09/trump-border-crossings-mexico-cartels-migrants

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Flag-Waving 70% confidence
Exploiting patriotic or group feelings to justify or promote an action.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing flag-waving helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 4
info Single Source 4
schedule Pending 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified
Claim 1: “Capt. Timothy Williams of the Sheriff's Office of Cochise County, Arizona... designed and runs the Southeastern Arizona Border Region Enforcement (SABRE) program”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general dictionary definitions of 'CAPT' and unrelated Wikipedia entries. There is no mention of Capt. Timothy Williams or the SABRE program.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following notable deaths in the United States occurred in 2024. Names are reported under the date of death, in alphabetical order as set out in WP:NAMESORT. A typical entry reports information in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_deaths_in_the_United_Stat…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a firearm and participated in deadly shootouts. The gunfighter can be…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunfighter
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An Indian massacre is any incident in which a significant number of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, as a group, killed or were killed outside the confines of mutual combat in war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_massacres_in_No…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 2: “That's a 15% increase compared to last March.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result explicitly states: 'That's a 15% increase compared to last March.' This is tied to the same source as claim 5.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “Border crossings hit all time record low in march!!!” Trump wrote in all caps.Additionally, the CBP’s Office of Field Operations, which is in charge of the United States’ 328 ports of entry, reported…
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/report-march-sees-historic-low…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Between the lines: Roughly 8,000 people were encountered trying to illegally cross the Southern border in March, according to CBP data. That's a 15% increase compared to last March. Known gotaway stat…
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/09/trump-border-crossings-mexi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Illegal Border Crossings Have Spiked in Recent Months. Over the past two decades, there were large declines in apprehensions along the southwestern border with Mexico.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/us/border-crossing-increa…
help
Claim 3: “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in December at the Reagan National Defense Forum, "Today the number of illegals crossing into our country is zero"”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
schedule
Claim 4: “In February, White House communications director Steven Cheung claimed on X that there were "Zero border crossing for 9 months straight."”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 5: “Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County in the Tucson sector... oversees the SABRE program”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
verified
Claim 6: “Roughly 200 Border Patrol agents were recently reassigned to the Laredo sector in Texas to address an increase in "gotaways"”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided consists of dictionary definitions for 'approximately' and general information about border walls and checkpoints. There is no specific mention of 200 agents being reassigned to the Laredo sector.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Garitas or retenes (singular: retén) are federal inspection stations operated by the Mexican government. They are officially known as "garitas de revisión" (checkpoints). They are usually located with…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garita_(checkpoint)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Forward operating bases. A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forward_operating_base…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A border wall has been built along portions of the Mexico–United States border in an attempt to reduce illegal immigration to the United States from Mexico. The barrier is not a continuous structure b…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico–United_States_border_wa…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 7: “SABRE tracks 200 to 300 crossers per month across the border, with about a 33% apprehension rate.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The search results for 'SABRE' refer to a travel technology company, a type of sword, a jet aircraft, and pepper spray. No evidence was found regarding a border enforcement program with these specific statistics.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet powered fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swep…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_F-86_Sabre
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A sabre or (American English) saber ( SAY-bər) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Centr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabre
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A sabre is a type of sword. Sabre, Sabres, saber, or SABRE may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabre_(disambiguation)
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 8: “In late April, current Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said on X, "The Border is Closed!"”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 9: “Compared to March of 2025, there was an increase in arrests in the Laredo, Del Rio, Rio Grande Valley, Tucson and El Centro sectors”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While some search results mention Laredo, Del Rio, and other sectors, none provide comparative arrest data for March 2025 to support the claim of an increase.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, pronounced [ˈkaɾtel ðe xaˈlisko ˈnweβa xeneɾaˈsjon]), also known as CJNG, is a Mexican criminal syndicate based in Jalis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalisco_New_Generation_Cartel
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The international boundary separating Mexico and United States extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. It…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico–United_States_border
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nuevo Laredo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈnweβo laˈɾeðo]) is a city in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Rio Grande, across from Lared…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuevo_Laredo
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 10: “Roughly 8,000 people were encountered trying to illegally cross the Southern border in March, according to CBP data.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result explicitly states: 'Roughly 8,000 people were encountered trying to illegally cross the Southern border in March, according to CBP data.' However, other results mention different numbers (e.g., 29,116), and there is only one specific source for the 8,000 figure.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Between the lines: Roughly 8,000 people were encountered trying to illegally cross the Southern border in March, according to CBP data. That's a 15% increase compared to last March.
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/09/trump-border-crossings-mexi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “Aliens are receiving the [Trump] administration’s message: if you cross the border illegally, you will be deported,” CBP said in its latest report. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secret…
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/report-march-sees-historic-low…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Last month, USBP apprehended 29,116 illegal immigrants at the southern border, which itself represented a more than 75% decrease in apprehensions from January 2024, when over 124,000 illegal immigrant…
https://washingtonstand.com/news/border-crossings-reach-allt…
info
Claim 11: “Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), head of the Senate border security subcommittee”
SINGLE SOURCE
Wikipedia confirms James Lankford is a US Senator from Oklahoma, but the provided evidence does not confirm his role as the 'head of the Senate border security subcommittee'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States Senate election in Oklahoma will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the U.S. Senate to represent the state of Oklahoma. Incumbent Senator Alan Armstrong, who was …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_elec…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — James Paul Lankford (born March 4, 1968) is an American Southern Baptist minister and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Oklahoma, a seat he has held since 2015. A member of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lankford
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. As of March 2026, there are 53 Republican…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 12: “In fiscal year 2025, there were about 70,000 reported gotaways, according to an annual budget report.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions 'gotaways' in fiscal 2023 (770,000) and total apprehensions in Texas for fiscal 2025, but does not provide a specific figure of 70,000 gotaways for fiscal year 2025.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In fiscal 2025, 259,878 illegal border crossers were apprehended in Texas, excluding gotaways, by Border Patrol and CBP officers, according to year-end CBP data. The fiscal year goes from Oct. 1 throu…
https://www.aol.com/articles/2025-illegal-entries-texas-near…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Over the 35-year period from FY 1990 to FY 2025, Border Patrol has recorded over 38 million total apprehensions at the US-Mexico border, making southwest border migration one of the most significant a…
https://businesstats.com/us-border-patrol-apprehensions-expu…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The nearly 770,000 gotaways are included in the roughly 4 million illegal border crossers reported in fiscal 2023 and more than 10 million since January 2021, when President Joe Biden first took offic…
https://highlandcountypress.com/former-border-chief-mayorkas…
schedule
Claim 13: “Tom Homan [is the] White House Border Czar”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.