As President Trump reaches his 100-day milestone, he has made a resounding statement on the contentious issue of immigration: the border can indeed be sealed through sheer determination.
The President's approach has resulted in the lowest ever recorded illegal crossings, with border migrant shelters closing due to a 99.99% decrease in the number of individuals apprehended and released. Smuggling cartels are reportedly struggling to find clientele.
During the Biden administration, encounters with illegal immigrants at the southern border were a daily occurrence, often reaching up to 10,000 individuals. However, on a recent Sunday, this number was a mere 178. The number of 'gotaways', those who managed to evade detection, was previously over 1,800 daily under President Biden. This figure was reduced to 38, according to the White House border czar, Tom Homan.
"Today, as Im standing here, we [have] the most secure border in the history of this nation, and the numbers prove it," Homan proudly announced to reporters on Monday, as reported by The Washington Times. This success has been achieved without new legislation or significant financial support from Congress, which continues to debate Mr. Trumps request for billions of dollars in additional funding.
The Trump administration's success in border control is attributed to innovative policymaking, utilizing authorities from sometimes centuries-old laws, the commitment of the U.S. military, and Mr. Trumps expenditure of political capital. Todd Bensman, a border expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, stated, It took Donald Trump one hour on the very first day of his administration to close the border down. Comprehensive immigration reform was never necessary. There was no root causes solution involved. All of that was just phony propaganda, and it all stands exposed.
The triumph is so comprehensive that immigrant rights groups are left grappling for solutions. They have largely conceded the border battle and are now focusing on defensive strategies within the U.S., in an attempt to mitigate Mr. Trumps mass deportation promises and protect as many illegal immigrants as possible from deportation.
However, not everyone agrees with the administration's approach. Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, criticized the administration's tactics, stating, Cruelty is their point. What we are seeing is, this is not in fact about safety and security. Its about creating chaos, panic and fear.
Despite the success at the border, Mr. Trumps interior crackdown has encountered legal challenges. His administration had to withdraw from a large-scale effort to revoke foreign students status after judges raised major constitutional concerns. A judge also halted the presidents attempt to penalize sanctuary jurisdictions by withholding federal grant money.
Mr. Trumps attempt to expedite deportations using the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law, has also faced resistance from judges. Supreme Court justices ruled that he must provide at least some opportunity for illegal immigrants caught within the country to challenge their deportations.
Despite these legal obstacles, the Trump administration remains committed to its immigration policies. Over the first 90 days of Mr. Trumps tenure, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed an average of about 640 people a day, a decrease from about 755 a day during the same period last year under Mr. Biden. However, ICE arrests have more than doubled under Mr. Trump, increasing from about 250 to about 550 a day.
Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, expects these numbers to rise if the administration can overcome some of the judicial blockades. He stated, The bottom line is that the president is going to continue and expand and accelerate the effort to remove from our midst people who have no lawful right to be here, and we will do so without apology.
However, Mr. Trumps attempt to revoke Temporary Protected Status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans, as well as a move to revoke parole granted to half a million Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans during Mr. Bidens tenure, has faced legal pushback. Judge Indira Talwani stated that Mr. Trumps attempt to categorically revoke their paroles undermines the rule of law.
Despite these challenges, the Trump administration remains steadfast in its commitment to secure borders and stringent immigration policies, demonstrating that with determination and innovative policymaking, significant changes can be achieved.
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