Vice President J.D. Vance stood at the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday, flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. He told Blaze Media’s Julio Rosas that the Trump administration has made strides in deportations, but the pace isn’t what supporters expected. The culprit? Biden’s dismantling of immigration enforcement.

“President Biden gutted the entire immigration enforcement machine of this country,” Vance said, responding to Rosas’ question about the biggest obstacle to Trump’s mass deportation vision. He emphasized that rebuilding takes time, adding, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” a nod to the monumental task of reversing years of neglect.

The numbers tell a story of progress—and frustration. Illegal border crossings have plummeted from Biden-era highs of 10,000 daily to just 300 under Trump’s watch. Yet, Vance admitted interior arrests and deportations lag, a sore point for conservatives who cheered Trump’s campaign vow to expel millions.

Tulsi Gabbard dropped a bombshell during the visit. She revealed an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network exploited Biden’s open borders, sneaking thousands of Central Asians—many tied to terror groups—into the U.S. Only eight were deported or detained in 2024; the rest roam free, a chilling security gap Trump aims to close.

Vance kept the focus practical. “We are trying to rebuild so that we actually empower people to enforce the immigration laws,” he said. He called it common sense, aligning with what Americans demanded when they handed Trump a second term.

The border trip wasn’t just talk. Vance praised the “historic decrease” in illegal crossings, crediting Trump’s early moves. But he didn’t sugarcoat the challenge—Biden’s policies left a skeleton crew at agencies like ICE, hobbling efforts to round up illegals already inside the country.

Gabbard’s warning added urgency. “Where are they? What are they plotting?” she asked of the undetected migrants. For conservatives, it’s a glaring reason why deportations must ramp up fast—national security hangs in the balance.

Trump’s team isn’t standing still. Vance hinted at new policies in the pipeline to boost deportations, promising to expand the scope “every day” for the rest of Trump’s term. Republicans see this as a marathon, not a sprint, but they want results yesterday.

The contrast with Biden couldn’t be sharper. His administration’s lax border let chaos reign; Trump’s slamming the door shut. Vance’s “much more has to be done” line rang true for a base eager to see illegals gone and America safe.

Conservatives cheered the border drop but demand interior action. Vance’s pledge to keep pushing resonates with a heartland fed up with excuses. Biden broke it—Trump’s fixing it, and Republicans won’t rest until the job’s done.