Migrant Arrests Fell by Roughly Half in January After New Border Enforcement Measures

Yesterday (Jan. 29), The Wall Street Journal reported that President Biden’s additional border enforcement measures to limit illegal immigration, expand pathways for legal immigration, and increase security has resulted in a dramatic drop in illegal border crossings. The number of people encountered attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has fallen by 97% compared to the average weekly encounters in December. Notably, the number of border encounters for these four nationalities declined even as encounters with other noncitizens are returning to customary levels after a typical seasonal decline over the holidays.

Doug Nicholls, the Republican mayor of Yuma, Arizona said, “This is pretty significant and some of it has to be some of the changes the president made.” In his border town, illegal crossings fell by 65% this month.

This month, the U.S. is on track to see the lowest level of monthly border encounters since February 2021, but some elected officials are trying to block the Administration’s effective measures because they would rather keep immigration an issue to campaign on than one to solve. If those elected officials succeed, their actions will lead to more illegal immigration.

 Read the full story below:

The Wall Street Journal: Migrant Arrests Fell by Roughly Half in January After New Enforcement Measures

[Michelle Hackman and Alicia Caldwell, 1/29/23]