Staff Reports
The news from San Diego regarding a decrease in border arrests under President Joe Biden is making headlines, but one has to wonder if this drop in numbers is anything to celebrate or just more smoke and mirrors. U.S. Border Patrol is reporting that arrests for July have taken a nosedive to about 57,000—a staggering 30% drop from June’s already low figures. This new low begs the question: is this a miracle of border enforcement or just another instance of political spin?
The arrest figures have plummeted so significantly that they now rival the ghost of 2020, a year when even a pandemic couldn’t keep illegal crossings in check. It appears this administration is eager to take credit for what many on the right suspect was a lucky break instead of a well-executed strategy. Prior to Biden’s latest policies, arrests were cut in half from a jaw-dropping peak of 250,000 in December, largely due to increased enforcement from Mexico. Now, with further restrictions on asylum in place, the need for Democrats to defend their border narrative has never been greater.
As predicted, just before the election they’ll fix it…U.S.-Mexico border arrests are expected to drop 30 per cent in July to a new low for Biden's presidency. https://t.co/rGnxmKBSiO
— Rawkus Americuss (@WiseMuppet) July 31, 2024
One can’t overlook the prospect that these measures may soon be lifted, as arrests hover dangerously close to the magic number of 1,500. At present, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is bracing for a scenario where the current asylum restrictions could be lifted altogether if arrests continue to trend downward. But let’s not get too carried away—if those arrests spike back up to a daily average of 2,500, the restrictions will be back on quicker than you can say “border crisis”. It seems that the only thing keeping the border from spiraling into chaos is the very legislation that the Left is increasingly challenged by in court.
Interestingly, San Diego has once again been labeled the busiest corridor for illegal crossings. Tucson, Arizona, has also made the list. Still, while arrests may be down, the demographics have shifted: those easiest to deport, like Mexicans, are coming across in lower numbers, but there is still a notable decline across the board—thanks in part to travel restrictions from other countries, including new visa requirements from Ecuador for Chinese migrants.
The Department of Homeland Security is proudly boasting a 55% drop in arrests since the asylum restrictions took effect in June. However, the real question is whether this is genuine progress, or just a temporary blip on an erratic radar. As the future of immigration policy looms, people will be watching closely, and it’s unlikely that they will be swayed by mere statistics without a substantial change in the administration’s approach to border security. The ghosts of the past are speaking loud and clear: actions speak louder than numbers.
