Trump Administration Finding Out that Immigration Control is Easier Said than Done
The Wall at the border of Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego. The crosses represent migrants who died in the crossing attempt. Some identified, some not. Surveillance tower in the background.
President Trump is learning the challenges of attempting to restrict undocumented immigration.
Reports are that visa overstays are on the rise, Indeed, overstays currently outnumber illegal entries. A Department of Homeland Security “entry/exit” report released late last month showed that nearly 629,000 people who came to the United States on a visa in fiscal year 2016 stayed after it expired, and were still here at the end of the year. This data undercuts President Trump’s claim that “a big, beautiful wall” will fully address undocumented immigration.
In addition, according to news reports, undocumented immigration across the southwest border appears to have jumped 27 percent in May, according to numbers released this week by the Department of Homeland Security, ending three months of declines under President Trump.
The Border Patrol apprehended 14,535 illegal immigrants in the southwest last month, up from just 11,129 in April. The number of undocumented immigrants showing up at ports of entry without authorization also ticked up, from 4,649 to 5,432.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection attributed the increase in border crossings to “a seasonal uptick.” Such an uptick suggests that control measures cannot end established migration patterns.
KJ