Political Quotes

John Thune: “Mr. President, it is difficult to overstate just how dramatically the situation at the southern border has changed over…”

On the recordJanuary 12, 2026
Mr. President, it is difficult to overstate just how dramatically the situation at the southern border has changed over the past year. In November, the latest month for which we have border numbers, there were just 11,000 total encounters at the southern border--11,000. Now, to put that number into perspective, the previous November, under President Biden, saw 94,000 encounters. The November before that saw a staggering 242,000 encounters, and the November before that, 235,000. This November, there were 11,000, and not one individual who tried to cross the border illegally was released into our country--not a single one. In fact, it has been months since an illegal immigrant was released into the interior of our country.
Said by
John Thune
Republican · South Dakota

Editor's note · Context

Discussing changes in border encounters and appropriations during Senate floor debate.

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