CBP Reports Decline in Apprehensions/Inadmissibles at Southwest Border in April 2017

INTRODUCTION

On May 9, 2017, the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published new border apprehension statistics along the Southwest border for April of 2017 [link]. The CBP statistics indicate that there were fewer illegal border crossings in April 2017 than there have been in a single month for several decades. In this post, we will review the new statistics. Please see my post on the March 2017 statistics to learn about those in detail [see blog].

OVERVIEW

April 2017 saw the lowest number of apprehensions along the Southwest Border in decades. The CBP reported that 11,129 individuals were apprehended between ports of entry on the Southwest Border in April. This startlingly low number is a slight decrease from the 12,193 individuals similarly apprehended in March. In April, 4,651 individuals presented themselves at ports of entry along the Southwest Border and were deemed inadmissible. Of these, only 998 were unaccompanied alien children. This is actually a slight increase from 4,404 in March. The total number of apprehensions and inadmissibles in April was 15,780. This was not only a decrease from the 16,600 in March, but the lowest number in decades.

The overall decrease in apprehensions along the Southwest Border in early 2017 is stark. After seeing 42,473 apprehensions/inadmissibles in January, the subsequent three months saw 23,563, 16,600, and 15,780, respectively. In most years, the number of apprehensions/inadmissibles increases during the spring; however, 2017 is showing the opposite trend thus far. For reference, please see the following chart from the CBP website [see here].

The chart shows that February, March, and April of 2017 have individually and cumulatively had the lowest number of apprehensions/inadmissibles at the Southwest Border of any months since fiscal year 2012. The 15,780 apprehensions in April 2017 were down from 48,502 in April 2016, a decrease of approximately 77-percent. The second best previous year on the chart, April 2015, still saw 38,296 apprehensions/inadmissibles, well over double the number in April 2017.

For a detailed breakdown of apprehensions in April 2017 by sector, please see the following chart [see here].

CONCLUSION

The Washington Times notes one peculiarity of the decrease in apprehensions along the Southwest Border in the early months of the administration of President Donald Trump:

“Even before a foot of Mr. Trump's planned border wall is built or any more agents are hired, the threat of being sent home has forced would-be migrants to rethink making the journey, officials said.”[1]

Although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working to implement President Trump's Executive Order on border security [see article], it is true that many of its initiatives — such as a border wall and the hiring thousands of new CBP agents — have not yet taken effect [see blog]. It is unclear how much of the decrease in apprehensions can be attributed to messaging and how much is attributable to actual policy changes. Because the number of apprehensions tends to increase during the summer months, we may soon see an indication of how sustainable the recent trends are. Furthermore, the Washington Times article reports that April saw an increase in the seizure of “hard drugs including heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine,” indicating that drug trafficking may be at rising even while the number of illegal border crossings decline.

In any case, the early border security news in 2017 is promising [see blog]. Reducing the number of illegal border crossings is essential if the DHS is to have the resources to improve interior immigration enforcement. It will be incumbent on the DHS and the entire Trump Administration to implement policies in the long term to ensure that the recent good news is not a fluke.

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

1. Dinan, Stephen. “Illegal border crossings down 76% under Trump.” The Washington Times. May 10, 2017.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com

EOIR Swears in Seven New Immigration Judges on May 5, 2017

On May 8, 2017, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced that it swore in seven new immigration judges [link]. The ceremony was held on May 5, 2017. The seven new immigration judges were the first appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The following is the list of immigration judges and the immigration courts on which they will sit:

• Nina M. Carbone — Aurora Immigration Court
• Jennifer I. Gaz — Eloy Immigration Court
• Charlotte S. Marquez — New Orleans Immigration Court
• José Luis Peñalosa Jr. — Adelanto Immigration Court
• Donald W. Thompson — New York City Immigration Court
• David C. Whipple — Cleveland Immigration Court
• Ryan R. Wood — Bloomington Immigration Court

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com

New Orleans Immigration Court to Close From 8/16 - 8/22 to Prepare for Relocation

On August 1, 2017, the Executive Officer for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced that it will temporarily close the New Orleans Immigration Court at noon on August 16, 2017 [PDF version]. This closure is to prepare for relocation.

The New Orleans Immigration Court will reopen at its new location on August 22, 2017. The EOIR provided the contact information for the new location:

LOCATION:

New Orleans Immigration Court

365 Canal Street, Suite 500

New Orleans, LA 70130

HOURS OF OPERATION:

8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

TELEPHONE:

504-589-3992

Those affected by the change should be aware of when the New Orleans Immigration Court will close, when it will reopen, and the details of its new location. The EOIR website provides updates of Immigration Court closures and relocations.

The EOIR recently moved its Las Vegas Immigration Court. Please see our full blog for details on the new location of that Court [see blog].

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com

Pew Research Center Conducts Interesting Study on U.S. Immigrants

INTRODUCTION

On May 3, 2017, the Pew Research Center released a highly interesting report titled “Key findings about U.S. immigrants” [link].[1] The study contains numerous statistics and charts, and is well worth reading in full. In this post, I will examine a small selection of the statistics that are generally not readily found in official government reports.

DISCUSSION

Pew reported that there were 43.5 million foreign-born persons in the United States in 2015. This includes those in the United States without authorization, temporary lawful residents, lawful permanent residents, and naturalized citizens. In 2014, foreign-born persons made up 13.4% of the U.S. population. This nears the all-time record of 14.8% in 1890. The percentage-share of foreign-born persons has been steadily increasing since it hit an all-time low of 4.7% in 1970. Pew projected that the foreign born population would reach 78.2 million by 2065.

Of the foreign-born persons in the United States in 2015, Pew estimated that 75.5% are in the United States legally and 24.5% are in the United States without legal authorization.

Unsurprisingly, Pew reported that nearly half of all of the foreign-born persons in the United States in 2015 lived in just three states in 2015: California, Texas, and New York. These three states accounted for 46% of all foreign born individuals in the United States in 2015. 65% of all foreign born individuals lived in 20 major metropolitan areas.

Pew found that foreign-born individuals in the United States were far more likely than U.S.-born citizens to have not completed high school (29% to 9%). Furthermore, foreign born individuals were also more likely to have ceased their education at the high school level. Interestingly however, 30% of foreign-born individuals had college degrees compared with 31% of U.S.-born citizens. Part of the reason for the discrepancy is that a much larger percentage of U.S. born citizens (31%) had completed some college without obtaining at least a baccalaureate degree than did foreign born individuals (19%). It should be noted that there were also significant differences in educational outcomes depending on where foreign born individuals are from. For example, only 6% of Mexican-born individuals in the United States had at least a baccalaureate degree compared to 51% of individuals from South and East Asia, 48% of those the Middle East, and 42% from Europe and Canada.

In the final statistic that we will examine, 51% of foreign-born individuals aged five and older were proficient English-language speakers. Only 45% of foreign-born individuals living in the United States for five years or less were proficient, whereas 55% of foreign-born individuals living in the United States for twenty years or more were.

CONCLUSION

Pew's survey provided some very interesting statistics about trends in the foreign-born population in the United States. Non-partisan studies on things such as outcomes for immigrants and nonimmigrants by region, educational attainment, and English-language proficiency should be an essential part of future immigration reform efforts. It is essential to understand the outcomes of preexisting immigration policies in order to have the best idea of the kinds of reforms that are needed. Please see my recent analysis of President Donald Trump's address to a joint-session of Congress for some of my thoughts on how to reform our immigration system and links to other posts on that subject [see blog].

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

1. Lopez, Gustavo and Kristen Bialik. “Key findings about U.S. immigrants.” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (May 3. 2017). http://pewrsr.ch/2qz2zvx

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com