Speaking Friday at the White House, Trump touted the reductions in border crossings. In a meeting with members of the Border Patrol Council, the labor union for agents, he said areas where the wall has been erected are “virtually 100 percent effective.”

“Illegal border crossings have dropped eight straight months in a row — that’s a big number,” he said. “Illegal crossings are down over 75 percent since last spring. And this is despite the fact that we have the strongest economy in the history of the country.”

In November, acting Customs and Border Protection commissioner Mark Morgan told reporters that 78 miles of wall had been constructed — but that the U.S. had only replaced old, broken-down barriers. He said the next portion to be built would be in a place that had not had an existing structure, in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

Trump made cracking down on immigration the centerpiece of his 2016 campaign, calling for a series of changes, including a border wall — a promise that had led to chants of “build that wall!” at his boisterous campaign rallies. But key pieces of his agenda have stalled and the wall promise remains largely unfulfilled. He continues to focus on immigration as he campaigns for reelection.

“As we speak, a long, tall, and very powerful wall is being built,” Trump said in his State of the Union address this month.