Illegal border entries in Texas have dropped in 2025 compared to the prior two years, but new data reveal a concerning trend: gotaways—those who evade Border Patrol entirely—continue to pour into the U.S., with many tied to serious crimes and potential national security threats.
In fiscal year 2025, 259,878 illegal border crossers were apprehended in Texas by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Border Patrol. But that number is a fraction of what agents dealt with during the Biden administration’s peak years. In 2022 and 2023, illegal entries totaled 1.4 million per year, with total illegal entries—when factoring in gotaways—surpassing 2 million annually in Texas alone.
Gotaways are individuals who illegally enter the U.S. between ports of entry, evade law enforcement, and are never captured or processed. These individuals do not file asylum claims and do not voluntarily return to their countries. According to data obtained by The Center Square, at least 450,000 known gotaways were recorded in Texas in 2023, nearly double the number of illegal crossings in 2025.
Texas consistently leads the four southwest border states in gotaway numbers. In 2023, Texas accounted for 60 percent of all gotaways reported along the entire U.S. southwest border. Sectors such as El Paso and Del Rio have seen particularly high numbers, with gotaways nearly matching the number of apprehensions. In El Paso alone, over 210,000 gotaways were reported compared to 482,000 apprehensions.
The presence of Special Interest Aliens (SIAs)—individuals considered possible national security risks due to ties to countries with known terror threats—is also increasing. Over 73,000 SIAs have been arrested nationwide during the Biden administration, many of them in Texas. These include individuals from Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, and Mali, among others.
While total apprehensions dropped significantly in 2025, the threat from gotaways remains. Many have criminal records or active felony warrants. Texas’ Operation Lone Star continues to target these individuals, with state officers making roughly 100 criminal arrests each week. DPS has also tracked and apprehended more than 6,500 criminal foreign nationals with warrants for violent offenses ranging from homicide to weapons trafficking.
Texas officials have launched a “10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants” list, further escalating efforts to bring high-risk individuals to justice. Without these efforts, state officials warn, many of these criminals and potential threats would disappear into the interior of the U.S.
Despite historic enforcement efforts by Texas, federal policy under the Biden administration continues to be blamed for allowing criminal foreign nationals to cross the border unchecked. Officials warn that as long as gotaways remain a dominant feature of illegal entry, national security remains at risk.
