Five ways Trump has changed immigration in the US

Donald Trump’s second-term immigration agenda has sharply reduced migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border and accelerated construction of border barriers. The changes matter as immigration remains a major issue ahead of the midterm elections, while some voters who support tougher enforcement worry the crackdown has gone too far.

The article says encounters fell after the administration restricted asylum claims, ended the release of detainees into the US, deployed troops and pressured Mexico to curb northbound migration. A spending bill provided $46.5bn for border security; since Trump returned to office, 250 miles of barriers have been completed and 1,443 miles are under construction. Experts caution that the wall’s effect on crossings is unclear, and point instead to policy changes and enforcement messaging as key reasons for the decline.