This Issue: Border encounters down 64% since May, but numbers are still high

Fri, Oct 11^th

The Department of Homeland Security hyped September's border statistics for much of this week, and they should. The number of encounters with illegal aliens during the last month represents a significant drop from May's high of 144,255. Customs and Border Protection report that September encounters were 52,546.

DHS has yet to officially add the September numbers to its website. Reporting is based on a press release and news conference from earlier this week. The 52,546 figure includes both the number of apprehensions and inadmissibles, and we've yet to see a break down of that figure.

On the surface, the September results look good, but they don't necessarily signal an end to the year-long surge of illegal border crossings at the Southern border. Last month's encounters are still higher than they were during the same month a year ago and are 67% higher when compared to the same month two years ago. Still, it is the lowest monthly total reported during FY2019, which ended on Sept. 30.

DHS, itself, acknowledged that "although apprehensions along the Southwest border continue to decline, there is still a border crisis."

The administration has done much to stem the flow of illegal border crossings over the last 10 months, including:

signed on to safe third country agreements with Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, essentially preventing any individual from those three countries claiming asylum in the United States;
worked with Mexico to increase enforcement efforts on their side of the border; and
implemented the Migrant Protection Protocols that require asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while they await their asylum hearing, disincentivizing migrants from entering fraudulent asylum claims.

After September's report, there won't be much urgency in Congress to take action, and only one more border apprehension report will be released between now and the next battle over government spending due to take place in mid-November. So it remains to be seen if border security will continue to be a dominating factor in the debate over spending.

Chris Chmielenski

Congestion Leads to Increased Stress and Strife

CHRISTY SHAW

Fri, Oct 11^th

The average American's commute has grown to almost an half hour and we now spend nine days a years driving to work. Population growth and poor planning are the causes. The solution offered up by most "experts" is MORE of the same.

Pa. Expands E-Verify Database To Check Construction Workers Status

Thu, Oct 10^th

In a year, construction industry employers in Pennsylvania will be required to verify an employee's legal status to work in the United States through a federal database called E-Verify. Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday that he'll let the bill become law.

The Real Cost of 'Free' Health Insurance for Illegal Immigrants

Fri, Oct 11^th

In response to the Democratic Presidential Hopefuls' proposals to offer health insurance to illegal aliens, the Center for Immigration Studies has issued two new reports and found that offering health insurance to illegal aliens would cost taxpayers up to $23 billion. The first report details the participation rate and cost of Medicaid usage by immigrants under existing policy, which offers noncitizens less access to the program compared to citizens. The second report explores the added costs of offering public health benefits to illegal immigrants.

Canadian Conservatives seek to stop inflow of migrants from U.S.

Wed, Oct 9^th

Canada's Conservative Party pledged today to renegotiate the terms of a deal with the United States to limit migrants who cross from the U.S. into Canada, but it offered few details on how it would do so. Under the current terms of a 2002 agreement, Canada and the U.S. can send back migrants who attempt to enter one country from the other.

Border Apprehensions Dropped to New Low in Last Month of Fiscal Year

Tue, Oct 8^th

U.S. immigration officials apprehended roughly 52,000 individuals at the United States' border with Mexico during September, the fourth month in a row they have recorded a decline in border apprehensions.