Net migration to the United States has plummeted, with some reports suggesting a negative flow in 2025, leading to empty migrant shelters in border cities.



As soon as President Trump was elected for a second term, the immigrants began turning back. Then, as President Trump called for a military presence in several cities to bring down crime, a clear message was sent to illegals, especially those with a criminal background.

The numbers regarding those immigrating to the United States were as of January, and the United States actually experienced a negative net migration in 2025, according to a Brookings Report in January picked up by ABC News. Though the efforts of ICE have been intense in 2025 and 2026, the report found that the reason for the decline is connected to a drop in entries into the country rather than the efforts of ICE.

Nevertheless, the government funding bill that President Trump signed into law on Tuesday, which ended the shutdown, includes the restoration of funds to housing agencies, education, labor, healthcare, and defense up to September 30th, which is the end of the government’s fiscal year. The funding of the Department of Homeland Security will only continue for 10 days (February 13). This gives those in Congress who want to defund the Department of Homeland Security additional time and leverage to make that happen, or at least develop and force stricter bureaucracy for how they interact with immigrants, according to Reuters.

Decline Could Continue into 2026
“We estimate net flows of -295,000 to -10,000 for the year,” said the Brookings study. “Though a high degree of policy uncertainty remains, continued negative net migration for 2026 is also likely.”

Between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, the population growth in the U.S. was only 1.8 million, or 0.5 percent. This is a significant slowdown, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared to the prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main reason for the slower growth rate we see today,” said Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections at the Census Bureau.

There are places across the U.S. where migrant shelters are either empty or preparing to empty because there are significantly fewer migrants available to stay in them.

El Paso, Texas, is a case in point. Funding cuts and legal challenges have caused many shelters to close, according to CBN.

Shelters in El Paso Empty as Border Patrol Deports Illegals
Larry Floyd of the El Paso Baptist Association said that 5,000 crossings per day were being prevented by the border patrol (30,000 per month), and his shelter was one of the last to close.

“It just wasn’t beneficial to continue not knowing the circumstances – if we were ever going to get more migrants.”

At one point in time, El Paso had 14 shelters operating. Now the city is down to five operational shelters.

Executive Director Sami DiPasquale of Abara House said that most of the work they do revolves around “supporting the real, fundamental humanitarian needs, but then it’s evolved into a number of services as well.”

This faith based charity works with shelters in both the U.S. and Mexico.

He says some of the people arrive with a great deal of trauma, and so funds are needed to help bring them healing.

The funding cuts made by the Trump administration, as well as the grants that are being removed by the Justice Department, mean that funding for shelters and legal aid centers will need to be found in other ways.

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