Issued on: October 23, 2018
Quote
As a result of Democrat-supported loopholes in our federal laws, most illegal immigrant families and minors from Central America who arrive unlawfully at the border cannot be detained together or removed together, only released.
President Donald J. Trump
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION SURGE: The latest immigration figures show a surge of alien family units and unaccompanied minors from Central America continue to arrive here illegally every day.
- Recently released figures on Southwest border apprehensions and inadmissibles, or those denied admission at a port of entry, show the dire state of the crisis at our border.
- We have seen a record-shattering surge in the arrival of family units, with more than 161,000 family unit apprehensions and inadmissibles in fiscal year (FY) 2018.
- This historic surge was 42 percent higher than any previous year on record.
- In the last three months, family unit apprehensions made up the highest percentage of total apprehensions in history.
- Tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors continue to stream across our borders.
- Unaccompanied minor apprehensions and inadmissibles totaled 58,660 in FY 2018, an increase of nearly 10,000, or approximately 20 percent, compared to FY 2017.
TODAY’S DANGEROUS BORDER CRISIS: Catch-and-release loopholes that hinder the detention and removal of many illegal aliens have incentivized a shift in illegal immigration.
- Responding to catch-and-release loopholes, illegal immigration has shifted from primarily single adults from Mexico to family units and unaccompanied minors from Central America.
- 98 percent of aliens apprehended by Border Patrol in FY 2000 were from Mexico, but today more than half are from Central America.
- These loopholes drive more and more illegal immigration from populations that the Government cannot quickly return to their home country.
- Of the family unit aliens from non-contiguous countries who arrived in FY 2017, only around 1.4 percent have been repatriated as of June 30, 2018.
- Smugglers and traffickers exploit these loopholes to prey on families and children who make the life-threatening journey north to our border.
- More than two-thirds of those making the journey north become victims of violence along the way, according to a report by Doctors Without Borders.
- Nearly one-third of women are sexually assaulted along the journey according to that same report.
LOOPHOLES DRIVING THE PROBLEM: Congressional Democrats back the loopholes that created this crisis and have been unwilling to fix it.
- Democrats in Congress continue to support outrageous catch-and-release loopholes that drive the crisis at our border and even want to expand these loopholes.
- Every Senate Democrat has backed a proposed bill that would effectively grant amnesty to any illegal alien within 100 miles of the border if they are accompanied by a minor.
- The surge in family unit and unaccompanied minor immigration has taken up vital resources.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities are at 98 percent capacity.
- Shelters for unaccompanied alien minors are operating at 88 percent capacity.
- Yet, Democrats seem intent on obstructing efforts to close catch-and-release loopholes and fully fund border security.
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