Statistics released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 9 indicate that the flow of illegal immigration across our southwestern border has declined dramatically since Donald Trump took office in January. During the first three full months of Trump’s administration, 42,000 illegal border crossers were taken into custody, compared to nearly 133,000 apprehensions during the same period a year ago.
In a statement cited by AFP, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman David Lapan credited tougher surveillance and enforcement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (a DHS agency) but said that DHS anticipates a possible increase in coming months following the winter.
Despite the decrease in illegals apprehended, Lapan said DHS still wants to add as many as 5,000 more immigration enforcement staff, saying, “We still have shortages” in border enforcement personnel.
Another report in the Washington Times noted that illegal immigration across the southwestern border is down a 76 percent since Trump took office. Total apprehensions by the Border Patrol fell to 11,129 in April, the lowest monthly total for any month in 17 years.
The Times also quoted DHS’s Lapan, who said: “A lot of the discussion about changes in our enforcement policy and the way we are going about doing business, we believe that has deterred people. When you get here, it is likely you are going to get caught. You are going to be returned to your country.”
Other statistics reported by the Washington Examiner indicated that, in addition to the 11,129 people apprehended at the border, Border Patrol agents declared 4,651 others inadmissible, bringing the total of illegal aliens caught to 15,780. That number is down from 48,500 last April. Another 12,193 people were apprehended in March and 18,756 in February.
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