Illegal Immigration Plummets to a Level Not Seen in 17 Years

According to a document submitted to a Senate subcommittee, illegal immigration is rapidly diminishing along the southern border. The report was intended to be given to the senate before a hearing with John Kelly, the new Homeland Security secretary. However, it was leaked early to the Associated Press on Tuesday.

The report claims that the number of apprehensions along the border fell to a 17 year low in March, which suggests that far fewer people are trying to illegally enter the United States. 12,500 people were caught in March, compared to 43,000 in December.

The report also revealed that the number of children crossing the border, which became a shockingly common occurrence under the Obama administration, has also plummeted. Only 1,000 children were apprehended in March, as well as 1,100 people traveling as families. All told, it’s estimated that illegal immigration is down by over 60% since Donald Trump took office.

Though a specific cause for this decline hasn’t been confirmed, it’s believed that Trump’s stance on immigration, as well as increasing arrests of illegal immigrants within the United States, are dissuading migrants.

Ironically, this calls Trump’s border wall plan into question. Not a single brick of that wall has been built, and yet illegal immigration is falling rapidly. If illegal immigration is dissipating because the president has merely promised to enforce existing immigration laws, then do we really need a wall?