This Issue: Spike in illegal border crossings reflects the stakes of November's election

Fri, Oct. 16^th

Border apprehensions are on the rise as election day draws nearer, signaling that migrants believe a Democratic sweep in November will result in a mass amnesty for illegal aliens.

The spike is par for the course. Each time that prospects for a mass amnesty improve, it results in an increase in illegal border crossings.

According to new data from the Department of Homeland Security, nearly 55,000 individuals were apprehended by Border Patrol in September. That's the single-highest number recorded in FY2020, and it's roughly 3-1/2 times the number of apprehensions recorded in April.

The number of apprehensions (54,771) is also the highest number of apprehensions recorded in a single month during the Trump Administration with the exception of last summer's six-month border surge.

There is one significant difference between September's numbers and the 2019 surge. Last summer's illegal border crossings were driven by family units looking to take advantage of loopholes within our asylum process. But 86% of last months apprehensions were of single adults who can more easily be put through the expedited removal process by Border Patrol.

While Pres. Trump pledged to work on a deal for Dreamers during last night's televised town hall, Biden has promised an amnesty for most of the 11-18 million illegal aliens living in the United States. The increased activity at the border as result of Biden's stated positions is just one example of what's at stake in both the presidential contest and control of the Senate on the immigration issue.

Chris Chmielenski
NumbersUSA Deputy Director

Federal Judge orders ICE to reduce migrants at Adelanto detention center in fear of COVID-19

Fri, Oct. 16^th

A federal judge has ordered government officials to immediately shrink the detainee population at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County so detainees would be able to practice social distancing amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Illegal Border Crossings fall for FY2020

Thu, Oct. 15^th

Apprehensions made by Border Patrol along the U.S.-Mexico border continued to decline in the month of September, marking a drastic decrease over the past year compared to the record-breaking FY 2019.

The New York Times Weighs in on Disappearance of Immigration as an Election Issue

LISA VENUS

Wed, Oct. 14^th

Over this past week, writers at the New York Times have addressed immigration policies from a couple of angles as elections near. In his October 8 column The V.P. Debate," David Leonhardt laments the missed opportunity for a real debate

Encouraging Agency Action to Protect American Workers

JARED CULVER

Mon, Oct. 12^th

While unemployment in the United States remains high, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have taken the novel step of actually moving to protect American jobs for American workers. It is novel because a review of past agency actions in prior Administrations will offer scant evidence that American workers and their interests were ever a consideration in policy making.

Trump Administration Issues Rule Protecting U.S. STEM Workers

Fri, Oct. 9^th

The Trump Administration announced an interim final rule that strengthens the H-1B program in an effort to protect U.S. workers, restore the program to its intended purpose and ensure that petitions are approved only for qualified employers and foreign workers.