Illegal Immigration Hits 12-Year High; More than 76,000 Migrants Cross in February
The U.S. Border Patrol is currently encountering illegal immigration at the highest rates since 2007, according to new data. In fact, in February more than double the level of migrants crossed the border without authorization compared to the same period last year, approaching the largest numbers seen in any February in the last 12 years, The New York Times reported.
“The truth is that the politics and policies of open borders have failed the American people. Our broken system endures, and the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis at our Southwest Border leaves many minors and families at extreme risk of being exploited by traffickers, human smugglers, gangs, and other nefarious actors seeking to profit at their expense,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen. “Activist courts, congressional inaction, and criminals intent on breaking our laws stand in the way of confronting illegal and uncontrolled migration threatening our safety and security. What was a crisis, is now a full-fledged emergency.”
“This cannot be a partisan issue,” Nielsen continued. “Every DHS Secretary since the Department’s inception has sounded the alarm about our unsecured border and its consequences. The American people and our law enforcement personnel rightfully demand effective border security: building the wall, strengthening our laws, and giving the men and women serving on the front lines the tools and resources they need to keep Americans safe. To that end, this Department pledges our unwavering resolve to confronting present and ever-evolving future threats to our national security at our Southwest Border.”
Humanitarian and Security Crisis at a Breaking Point
New data reveals that more than 76,000 migrants illegally crossed into the U.S. and were apprehended or deemed inadmissible last month, a 12-Year High.
- New data shows that more than 76,000 aliens were apprehended or deemed inadmissible at a port of entry in February.
- More than 2,000 aliens are being apprehended every day at the Southern border.
- Border Patrol has apprehended over 268,000 individuals since the beginning of the fiscal year, marking a 97% increase from the previous year.
- Our nation is experiencing an unprecedented surge of illegal alien families arriving our border, with more than 40,000 apprehended and deemed inadmissible in February.
- In this fiscal year (FY) to date, there has been a more than 300%increase in the number of family units apprehended compared to the same time period last fiscal year.
- Apprehensions of family unit aliens and Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) have surged by 338% and 54% respectively this year.
- There has been a wave of large migrant groups flooding to the border.
- 70 large groups of 100 or more individuals have attempted to cross the border so far this fiscal year, compared with only 13 the previous year.
- Many of the migrants arriving at our border are requiring medical assistance, further straining resources and personnel on the ground.
- Customs and Border Protection is executing a new directive to expand existing medical service contracts and deploy additional medical personnel to the border.
Illicit Materials, Transnational Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking, and Sex Crimes
Our nation is experiencing a dire immigration crisis that requires swift and decisive action to confront illegal and uncontrolled migration threatening our safety and security.
- In the last two years alone, ICE officers have arrested 266,000 aliens with criminal records including those convicted of nearly 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 homicides.
- In Texas, 276,000 criminal aliens were booked into local jails between June 1, 2011 and December 31, 2018, of which over 186,000 were classified as illegal aliens by DHS.
- Last year, ICE officers removed more than 10,000 known or suspected gang members already in our country illegally.
- Each week, approximately 300 Americans have died from heroin overdoses, of which nearly 90% comes across our southern border.
- Just last month, CBP made the largest seizure fentanyl ever recorded attempting to cross the southern border. It was enough to kill more than 115 million Americans.
- Alarmingly, CBP has reported that fentanyl smuggling between ports of entry at the southern border has more than doubled over our last fiscal year. Fentanyl was responsible for more than 28,400 overdose deaths variety of Americans in 2017. Just a few weeks ago, CBP made its largest fentanyl bust in U.S. history, seizing 254 pounds hidden in a truck trailer compartment.
- One in three women are sexually assaulted on the journey to the border.
- In FY 2018, ICE made more than 1,500 human trafficking arrests – 97% of them for sex-trafficking.
- 20,000 children were illegally smuggled into the United States during the month of December, alone.
- In the first five months of fiscal year 2018, CBP saw a 315% increase in individuals using children to pose as family units to gain entry into the United States.
- CBP has recorded a 50% spike over the last fiscal year of the number of gang members apprehended at the southern border.
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