Top Democrat says President Trump will be given ‘credit’ for border finally being secured

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that President Donald Trump deserves credit for solving the border crisis.

Jeffries spoke with the hosts of CNN’s “The Situation Room” about whether the president has fulfilled his campaign promises. 

While Jeffries challenged Trump’s effectiveness on issues like the affordability crisis, “Situation Room” co-host Pamela Brown argued that the border crisis is one area where Trump has done well.

“So, even if you disagree with the way this immigration crackdown is happening, according to government data, U.S. Border Patrol has released zero undocumented migrants into the U.S. for six consecutive months, and daily average apprehensions at the southwest border are lower now than under Biden,” she said. “Are you willing to give President Trump any credit for that?”

TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES FEWEST BORDER APPREHENSIONS SINCE 1970

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., holds a news conference on the 14th day of the U.S. government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Oct. 14, 2025. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

While Jeffries claimed that the Democrats support a strong and secure border, he argued that Republicans have angered many Americans by deporting illegal immigrants who have otherwise been law-abiding residents.

“Republicans promised that they were going to go after violent felons. We support that,” he said. “They‘re not going after violent felons. They‘re breaking up families, law-abiding immigrant families, in some cases. Actually deporting citizen children of the United States of America. 

“That‘s completely and totally unacceptable, and the American people know it, which is why in the most recent Gallup poll, Donald Trump‘s approval rating on immigration was underwater by 25 points.”

BORDER ENCOUNTERS DROP SHARPLY AS TRUMP LAUNCHES CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Throughout his second presidency, President Donald Trump’s methods of securing the border and deporting illegal immigrants have been condemned by Democrats. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

“It is true that the polls show, in terms of the tactics used, that the majority, they don‘t like the tactics being used,” Brown said. “But in terms of securing the border, can you give President Trump any credit for securing the border? Because, as you know, that was a big issue under the Biden administration when you had record border crossings. And those border crossings have gone down dramatically. Can you give him credit for that?” 

“The border is secure. That‘s a good thing. It‘s happened on his watch. He wants to claim credit for it. Of course, he‘ll get credit for that,” Jeffries said. “In terms of making sure that we actually deal with the issues that matter, including on immigration or beyond, there’s a lot that is left to be desired.”

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Mass illegal immigration was one of the chief issues that dogged former President Biden’s term in office. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Jose Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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The White House responded to Jeffries’ comments, saying “a broken clock is right twice a day.” 

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day. But while Hakeem Jeffries cannot deny the president’s tremendous success in securing our border and protecting our homeland, he had to spin up some lies in order to placate his rabid left-wing base. It’s sad that Hakeem is so beholden to the far-left liberals that he can’t even speak the full truth about the president’s tremendous accomplishments,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.