Thread: Arrests For Illegal Border Crossings Hit 46-Year Low

Arrests For Illegal Border Crossings Hit 46-Year Low

December 5, 2017 11:10 AM ET
John Burnett

Arrests of people trying to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico plunged to the lowest level since 1971, as fewer people attempted the trek, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday.

Meanwhile, immigration arrests in the interior of the country increased by 25 percent, the data show.

The newly released data provides the most comprehensive look yet at how immigration enforcement is changing under the Trump administration.

The dramatic shift in arrests of undocumented immigrants from the Southwest border to the interior of the nation continues to be a prominent feature of the Trump presidency.

(Graph) Arrests For Illegal Border Crossings Hit 46-Year Low (Click on link to view)

Arrests of people trying to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico plunged to the lowest level since 1971, as fewer people attempted the trek, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday.

Meanwhile, immigration arrests in the interior of the country increased by 25 percent, the data show.

The newly released data provides the most comprehensive look yet at how immigration enforcement is changing under the Trump administration.

The dramatic shift in arrests of undocumented immigrants from the Southwest border to the interior of the nation continues to be a prominent feature of the Trump presidency.

"Overall, removals are down because the border's under better control than it has been in 45 years," said Tom Homan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

New data released by DHS show that Border Patrol arrests are at a 46-year low. Border officers apprehended 310,531 people for being in the country illegally in fiscal 2017, a 25 percent decrease from the year before. Meanwhile, arrests by agents with ICE in the interior of the country spiked from the year before to 143,470 immigrants — mostly Central Americans.

Shortly after taking office, Trump ordered immigration agents to change their priorities. No longer would they only arrest unauthorized immigrants who had committed serious crimes or had entered the country recently. Under Trump's crackdown, federal officers were encouraged to arrest anyone they come across who is in the country illegally.

As a result, arrests of so-called "non-criminal aliens" — immigrants whose only crime was an immigrant violation — have risen 42 percent. ICE acting chief Homan says arrests of gang members — including the violent MS-13 gang — has jumped 83 percent.

Homan stressed that 92 percent of all ICE arrests this fiscal year were of those who had criminal convictions. The arrests were of immigration fugitives or those who illegally re-entered the country. "We arrested more criminals this year than last year," Homan said.

While the numbers of people trying to cross the southern border declined 25 percent, Ron Vitiello, acting deputy commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said the agency is still concerned about continuing illegal entries by families and unaccompanied children from Central America.

Some immigrants in shelters in Mexican border cities say they are now afraid to cross because of tough talk coming from Washington and stepped-up arrests in the interior. Additionally, families living in the country illegally say they are fearful of going to work, shopping at the supermarket, picking their kids up at school or attending church.

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/05/56854...it-46-year-low

There's a great graph in this article that shows the arrests numbers every year since 2000. For some reason I can't post graphs or images, but others can, so could Jean or GeorgiaPeach or Newmexican help me with this thread by posting the article with the graph or posting just the graph, whichever way you think is best. Thank you so very much. BP was arresting over 1,600,000 border crossers in 2000 and last year only 310,000.

That is a huge reduction of border crossings since 2,000. That also means if BP had the resources to arrest 1,600,000 in 2000 before they had a major increase in personnel, at least twice since then, securing the border at this point shouldn't be the big deal they make it out to be. 300,000 is still way too many and of course that's just the arrests, and they arrest about 1 out of 5 based on their own best estimates, so that's still 1,2 million or more getting through.

The pundits are mixing it up thinking 300,000 is the number of illegal aliens crossing the border, no, that's just the number getting caught, 4 x that number got through without arrest. Hard to explain because the number getting through is less than the number BP was arresting 18 years ago. Follow me? So something is off here in Border Patrol performance because now they have hundreds of miles of fence, many more agents, more money, more everything, yet they're arresting less than 1/5 the number they were arresting in 2000 with far less personnel, barriers and other resources.

Do we need an IG report on Border Patrol? Maybe so.

THESE NUMBERS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE STAGGERING

WE MUST GET THAT 30 FOOT WALL BUILT!

WE NEED TO REFUSE ENTRY AND TURN THEM AROUND

DUMP THEM RIGHT BACK ON MEXICO

The actual arrest may have hit a low but I'm betting the influx hasn't abated one bit! You would think one would indicate the other, but other things we're reading and hearing don't show that.

If the arrests have hit a historic low while the surge at the border has returned to or surpassed the Obama era levels as DHS Secretary stated in yesterday's press conference it means the Border Patrol is performing worse under Trump that under Obama and Bush!

Trump Tweet Misleads America About New Border Surge Caused By His Push for DACA & Amnesty Legislation
https://www.alipac.us/f8/trump-tweet...ca-amn-357437/

William Gheen‏ @ALIPAC 20s20 seconds ago




@radiobigtex Mr. Burnett, if arrests of illegals is at a 46-year low. How does that reconcile with DHS reports that the surge of illegals on our border now equals or surpasses the historically high levels reached under Obama?

https://twitter.com/ALIPAC/status/981947311965261826

Trump claimed "border crossings" were at a 46-year low... not arrests!

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 6h6 hours ago




The Caravan is largely broken up thanks to the strong immigration laws of Mexico and their willingness to use them so as not to cause a giant scene at our Border. Because of the Trump Administrations actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low. Stop drugs!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...59214380462081

"Because of the Trump Administrations actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low," Trump writes, the day after his DHS secretary said he signed a proclamation ordering the National Guard to the border.

@ President wants credit for lowering entries, but says problem is so urgent it requires military intervention

Originally Posted by MW

The actual arrest may have hit a low but I'm betting the influx hasn't abated one bit! You would think one would indicate the other, but other things we're reading and hearing don't show that.

"Because of the Trump Administrations actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low,"Trump writes, the day after his DHS secretary said he signed a proclamation ordering the National Guard to the border.

@ President wants credit for lowering entries, but says problem is so urgent it requires military intervention

Originally Posted by Beezer

THESE NUMBERS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE STAGGERING

WE MUST GET THAT 30 FOOT WALL BUILT!

WE NEED TO REFUSE ENTRY AND TURN THEM AROUND

DUMP THEM RIGHT BACK ON MEXICO

Look at what they were in the year 2000. That means almost 4.5 million got through and you can bet they're all still here and bred like rabbits. That was the last year of Clinton.

So illegal crossings are way up and illegal alien arrests under Trump are way down? Correct?