We've been covering the astonishing drop in illegal immigration at the border since Donald Trump took office. Now, the Daily Caller News Foundation has analyzed the numbers of illegals stopped at the border or apprehended since the Trump inauguration and they show an eye popping drop in illegal alien activity at the border.

The number of illegal aliens apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border last month fell 64 percent compared to the same period last year, continuing a trend of decreased border activity in the Trump era.

According to numbers released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week, 19,967 illegal aliens were apprehended or deemed inadmissible at the southwest border in May. That’s down significantly from the 55,442 apprehended during the same month last year.

The May tally is a 27 percent increase from the April numbers, largely due to warmer weather.

“Based on historic trends, CBP expected a seasonal uptick in apprehensions and inadmissible persons as the summer months began and expects the uptick to continue,” CBP says.

The first four full months of the Trump administration has seen a 60 percent overall decrease in the number of apprehended illegal aliens.

From February through May of this year, 75,910 were apprehended. From February 2016 through May 2016, 188,370 were caught attempting to cross the border.

In 2014 during the same period, 227,000 illegals were caught crossing the border.

Deterrence, deterrence, deterrence. You can't repeat that mantra enough. Illegal aliens know that there's a new border sherrif and the free ride they were given under President Obama is over. 

There is no clearer evidence that tens of thousands of potential illegal aliens aren't even trying to cross the border because they know that, not only is there a very good chance they will be caught, but that they will be sent back rather than released. If you want to define the "Trump effect" at the border, this is it.

Illegal alien advocates have been whining for years that nothing could put a dent in the numbers of illegals crossing the border - not more border guards, not a wall, not better enforcement. The illegal alien tidal wave is just something we have to get used to.

The Trump administration knew better. And now we are seeing the positive effects of getting more serious about controlling our borders.