Thread: Top immigration officials say summer won't see surge in kids

By ASTRID GALVAN, Associated Press
Updated 6:00 pm, Wednesday, April 22, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — There won't be nearly as many immigrant children who cross the border on their own this summer as there were last year, top officials say.

Daniel Ragsdale, deputy director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said authorities expect far fewer migrant children and families than the influx last year that gained worldwide attention and left Border Patrol agents unable to process so many people.

"I'm happy to say all the work we've done last year is bearing fruit," Ragsdale said.

Ronald D. Vitiello, the Border Patrol's deputy chief, agreed. "This year is far better off than last year," he said.

Vitiello and Ragsdale made the remarks Wednesday at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix.

Authorities were overwhelmed last year with an influx of unaccompanied minors and families with children last year. More than 68,000 youths from mostly Central America crossed the border without a parent last fiscal year.

But the numbers have tapered off, and authorities expect fewer migrants this summer.

Immigrant advocates have been critical of the government's response, saying most of the children were fleeing extreme violence and threats and should have been granted asylum. "The federal government's response to the large influx of Central American children coming in has been nothing short of a policy that undermines our basic humanitarian and asylum laws," said Greg Chen, director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

A study released by the non-partisan, nonprofit Migration Policy Institute found increased enforcement by the governments of the U.S., Mexico and some Central American countries has slowed the influx. For example, Mexican authorities apprehended 22,000 Central American children in the first 11 months of 2014. That's almost three times as many as in all of 2013.

Mexican authorities deported 18,000 Central American children last year, compared with 7,000 the year before.

The United States also stepped up enforcement, sending more Border Patrol agents to south Texas, where the vast majority of children and families crossed. The government began detaining families seeking asylum and opened four facilities for detaining families with children. A federal judge in February issued a preliminary injunction against the policy of detaining families who seek asylum.

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/art...ee-6217579.php

Who the heck do they favorably impress? Not I, for sure! ".....authorities expect far fewer migrant children...." Far fewer is NOT few enough! Hence, far fewer is far from acceptable. Jeh Johnson, in the words of one well known American, "You're fired!"

Oh they're all liars. You can't believe a thing any of these "top officials" say on immigration, let alone illegal immigration. It's like asking the fox how many hens he ate while guarding the chicken house. But with the immigration issue beginning to take hold and from what I can see quickly climbing to the top of the list of issues in the 201 elections, this cause will be carried forward by most Americans, Republicans, Democrats and Independents. So those in the Democratic Administration will try to claim they've got it under control now and the big waves and the big problems are over, when they aren't, they're just lying and lying and lying some more about the reality of this problem to claim they've made changes when they haven't and secured the border when they haven't and they've done this and done that when in fact they've done the complete opposite.

We need 6 dear Democrats who love their country and feel a loyalty to the citizens who elect them to vote with Republicans in the Senate to advance as many of these good immigration control bills soon to be coming from the House so they can make it to Obama's desk for signature. I doubt he'll sign all of them, but he might under pressure from the public sign some of them.

Again, it's going to be a very long, hard and expensive 2 years, but if we maximize this time to make immigration the Number One Issue of the 2016 elections, then maybe we can secure the legislation (s) shortly thereafter that we need to stop illegal immigration, remove illegal aliens from the country, and drastically reduce legal immigration including at least a 10 Year Moratorium on Immigration to give us time to sort out this mess and reset the system so this disaster never ever happens again in the United States, and that needs to include a specific law that bans any and all discussions or provisions relating to immigration in any trade or commerce type pact, agreement or treaty that would state or imply that immigration to the US is part of the deal. And frankly, given the shameful and horrendous track record of these deals so far, Republicans need to defund the stupid treasonous Office of the US Trade Representative and shut it down.

Daniel Ragsdale, deputy director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is full of crap. The only thing he and the Obama administration has done to decrease illegal alien border crossings is to start flying them in at taxpayer expense or looking the other way as they ride in on uninspected Mexican transfer trucks instead!

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Daniel Ragsdale, deputy director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is full of crap. The only thing he and the Obama administration has done to decrease illegal alien border crossings is to start flying them in at taxpayer expense or looking the other way as they ride in on uninspected Mexican transfer trucks instead!

W

Exactly.

That republican controlled Senate today approved Lynch as AG. Last election what was that they were going to accomplish and how much of the "stopping Obama's amnesties" has been accomplished? Sorry, say again, I did not hear you? I thought sure that they could and would handle this. I am telling you for sure, we DO NOT NEED more of those in Washington. I cannot tell them apart from the democrats. Please, no more of them!!!

Gop party: Grand Ol' Pretenders?