Fewer Apprehensions by US Border Patrol Due to Downturn in US Economy
The Orlando Sentinel reported yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Immigration Statistics released a report on the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the border. The report shows that apprehensions at the border are at a 36 year low.
The number of apprehensions made by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (USCBP) has declined for the third year in a row to 724,000 in 2008 after reaching a peak of 1,189,000 in 2005. The report shows that border apprehensions in 2008 have been at their lowest level since 1973.
Critics say that the downturn in the U.S. economy has reduced the demand for workers and the number of immigrants coming illegally is a result of that.
The primary reason immigrants risk their lives to attempt to enter the U.S. illegally is the lack of jobs and economic opportunities in their home countries. The fact that there is a lack of jobs and economic opportunities in the U.S. along with increased border protection, has resulted in fewer people willing to risk arrest and even their lives to come to the U.S.
The federal government is being called upon to resolve the nation’s immigration problem. Rallies across the country calling for immigration reform have taken place since 2006. The President wants reform but, the country is experiencing larger problems such as the economy and the war on terror. A comprehensive balance between enforcement and benefit granting must be reached to ultimately resolve the growing immigration problem.
