Five Facts on the Immigration Crisis
The U.S. border is in crisis, with record numbers of migrants claiming asylum and straining the immigration system. The Senate is working on a bipartisan border security package but it faces partisan opposition in the House of Representatives.
Here are Five Facts on the current migration crisis:
- Encounters at the southern border sharply rose under former President Trump.
Despite Trump’s 2016 rhetoric to limit illegal immigration, a growing number of people made the treacherous journey north to the U.S.-Mexico crossing. A 2020 Pew study reported that apprehensions of migrants at the southern border hit a 12-year high in FY 2019 – the last full fiscal year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- One Congressional study found that of nearly 6 million encounters at the southern border from 2021 to 2023, over 3 million had no confirmed departure from the United States.
The same report highlighted that only a small percentage of these migrants were screened for asylum eligibility, and a minimal number were removed after failing to show up for immigration court hearings.
- President Biden rescinded several Trump-era immigration policies at the outset of his administration
These policies, such as Title 42 and the "Remain in Mexico" policy, were originally implemented to limit illegal migration, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A surge in social media posts highlighting the end of those policies beginning in 2021 is suggested to have contributed to the increase in encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border by encouraging more people to claim asylum.
- Annual unauthorized border crossings rose 42.7 percent from FY 2021 to FY 2023.
Backlogged asylum cases increased by 138 percent over that same time period. In response to the surge in asylum claims, which led to overcrowded holding centers for migrants, nearly half of the U.S. Border Patrol agents have been redirected from patrolling to assisting in migrant processing, affecting border security effectiveness.
- Recent polling shows that immigration is now the number-one issue for Americans.
While economic issues are typically the top issue for most voters, the magnitude of the immigration crisis has positioned it as the most important challenge facing the nation in the eyes of many voters.
