Is there a crisis at the border?
I mean, Republicans are sounding the alarm as if Joe Biden is throwing a party for COVID-carrying human smugglers and drug mules.
Well, let’s set the record straight about illegal immigration over the last two decades.
Between Oct 1 2000 and Sept 30 2019–that is, the latest and most comprehensive data from the Border Patrol that I could find–the number of immigrants trying to cross American borders has fallen by 48.7%.
In other words, the problem is nearly half of what it used to be.
However, while the number of immigrants trying to illicitly cross American borders fell by 42.7% during the Obama-Biden Administration, the “crisis on the border” increased by 106.7% during Trump’s Administration.
In fact, more immigrants tried to cross American borders in 2019 than at any point since 2007.
Is there a crisis?
Depends on your definition of a crisis. That’s subjective.
But one thing’s real clear:
Far from deterring illegal immigration, Trump’s administration saw the “crisis” more than double.
That’s far from a success story on deterrence.
While opposition pols are now trying to create a media frenzy and fear-monger about a scary, scary flood of immigrants, what matters are the data.
Facts first, not bloviating, attention-seeking pols.