There is No “Invasion” at the Border: The U.S. Government’s 2018 Border Data Clearly Shows Why the Trump Administration is on the Wrong Track

In seeking to limit access to asylum for Central Americans, President Trump has claimed that the United States is being invaded and that the nation’s security and sovereignty is at risk.  A report by Adam Isacson for WOLA looks at the available data to show that the U.S. government’s approach is based on faulty premises:

1. There is no migrant crisis. In fact, the flow is near its lowest point in half a century. See the table above.
2. The profile of a typical migrant has changed dramatically over the past five years. Two in five are now children and family members. That has never happened before.
3. The number of people apprehended by Border Patrol has dramatically decreased over the years, because less people are attempting to cross.
4. Tough talk, threats, and “zero tolerance” won’t dissuade kids and families from fleeing.
5. Access to asylum is being throttled at the official border crossings.
6. Mexico apprehends nearly as many Central American migrants as the United States does. Sometimes, Mexico apprehends more.
7. It is extremely, vanishingly rare to find suspected gang members mixed in with families and unaccompanied children.
8. It is extremely rare to find migrants at the border from countries whose citizens the president wishes to bar from entering the United States “until we can figure out what is going on.”
9. Look for solutions in our asylum process and in our ports of entry. Both are in urgent need of help.

KJ