Illegal Border Crossings Down 40 Percent In February

So……it looks like President Trump’s immigration policies, which put the fear of deportation in those who would be caught illegally in the United States, are working

(AP) The number of people illegally crossing the U.S. southern border has dropped 40 percent in President Trump’s first full month in office, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Wednesday.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol reported that the number of illegal border crossings dropped from 31,578 to 18,762 persons. Kelly said border agents usually see a 10 to 20 percent increase in illegal immigrant apprehensions from January to February.

“The drop in apprehensions shows a marked change in trends,” Kelly said. “Since the administration’s implementation of executive orders to enforce immigration laws, apprehensions and inadmissible activity is trending toward the lowest monthly total in at least the last five years.” (snip)

“We will remain vigilant to respond to any changes in these trends, as numbers of illegal crossings typically increase between March and May,” Kelly said. “However, the early results show that enforcement matters, deterrence matters, and that comprehensive immigration enforcement can make an impact.”

It has been noted time and again that the point of getting tough on those who are unlawfully present in the U.S. is not to just deport those who are here illegally but to also make those who would think of coming illegally/overstaying their visas think hard about doing so. If the flow of illegals dries up to sustainable levels, at that point we could think of some sort of pathway to legalization (not necessarily citizenship) for those who are here now.

This is the second straight month that crossing are down, having dropped 39% for January. Of course, Trump wasn’t president till January 20, but, obviously, the threat of him taking office and implementing tougher measures made a difference. Quite frankly, tougher enforcement policies, quicker deportations, and going after those who hire illegals would do more than a wall, when coupled with Trump wanting to hire 5,000 more border patrol agents and 10,000 ICE employees.

Crossed at Right Wing News.