The number of undocumented immigrants crossing the border from Mexico into the US fell by as much as 40 percent between January and February. This was according to John Kelly, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, on Wednesday. The fall followed the 20 January inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants living in the US.
The preventions and numbers of apprehensions of undocumented immigrants crossing the border and the number are used to measure the number of illegal border crossings. In a statement, Kelly revealed that the number fell to 18,762 in February, compared to the January figure of 31,578. US Customs and Border Patrol compiled the data.
Kelly claims that, historically, there is usually a 10-20 percent increase in the February apprehensions of undocumented immigrants, compared to the previous month. Kelly notes that such activity is now heading towards the lowest monthly trend for at least five years. This is due to the implementation of executive orders signed by President Trump, intended to increase the enforcement of current immigration laws.
There was a similar decrease during the summer and fall of 2014 when the Obama administration promised to crack down on families from Central America who failed to attend immigration hearings and said that more immigrant families would be placed in detention. The Trump administration is still considering options to deter immigrants and refugees from heading to the US.