Border apprehensions surge

Many are trying to get in ahead of Trump’s promised wall

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has dramatically picked up the pace of border apprehensions, catching thousands more migrants trying to enter the country illegally or seeking asylum.

But the surge in arrests, a 60 percent increase over the summer, also means thousands more people are getting into the country illegally, increasing pressure on President Donald Trump’s team to clamp down even harder on the southern border.

The Department of Homeland Security commonly uses apprehensions as a proxy measure of illegal immigration. That’s based on a belief that the proportion of people apprehended while trying to enter illegally is constant, and therefore also reflects the number of total crossings.

After hitting a 17-year low in April, border agents have seen apprehensions climb from 11,125 to nearly 22,300 people in August as people rushed to enter before Trump builds a long-promised security wall and enacts tougher border security measures.

An additional 8,300 people turned themselves in at border stations, seeking asylum or other forms of assistance.

“They’ve definitely begun creeping back up,” a U.S. official said of the numbers. “They’re still low compared to recent years, but when you look at the calendar, they’re trending in a surprising direction. They’re trending up.”

The biggest increase this year has been among Central American families. The U.S. official said it makes sense that these numbers are rising considering the population has benefited from a policy that offers greater protections for Central American children and parents when they can demonstrate credible fear of returning to their country.

While August apprehensions are up compared to April, they are 41 percent lower than August 2016. Year to date, apprehensions are 24 percent down versus the same period in 2016.

Trump has adjusted his positions on some issues since entering the White House, but he has not backed down from his tough stance on undocumented immigrants. He maintains that a massive southwest border wall will be built and says any new immigration policy must be accompanied with strong border enforcement.