Yesterday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection acting commissioner Mark Morgan claimed that the Trump administration’s border and asylum policies were a success, based on the declining number of border apprehensions in August (of note, while the monthly data on total apprehensions show a decline of 22 percentage points compared... Continue »
Last week, we highlighted how the latest DHS monthly numbers offered stark reminders how Trump’s border policies had dramatically worsened the humanitarian and refugee crisis. We also noted that Trump’s refusal to adjust course or admit that more deterrence-only approaches are doomed-to-fail and will make the current situation all... Continue »
As White House Advances More Cruel and Doomed-to-Fail Policies, Smart and Effective Solutions Ignored The latest DHS monthly numbers are in. They continue to be in the 100,000 range, the highest monthly point since 2007. Under Trump, CBP counts have doubled in the past year. A sane administration would... Continue »
In a new piece for the Washington Post, Nick Miroff, Maria Sacchetti and Josh Dawsey recount the failures of Trump’s border policies. They point out that the President seems more interested in his burnishing his “tough guy” brand than in proposing pragmatic solutions. From the piece: “Gil Kerlikowske, CBP... Continue »
We Need Common Sense and Humane Solutions Yesterday, the Trump administration submitted to Congress an emergency spending request for more than a billion dollars for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), even though DHS received record funding through the regular appropriations process just three months ago. The President’s own... Continue »
In a new piece for the Washington Post, David Nakamura highlights Trump’s portrayal of Latino migrants as criminals and gang members as a central piece to his 2020 reelection campaign theme and part of his Strongman brand. This not only puts him at odds with some inside his administration,... Continue »
Don’t Let Trump Pull The Wool Over Your Eyes The $4.5 billion supplemental budget request tells you a great deal about what Donald Trump is getting wrong about the surge of migrants seeking asylum at our southern border.  While the administration is pretending to be concerned about plight of... Continue »
President Trump yesterday engaged in another round of rage-tweeting about the border, heavy on bluster, fear-mongering, and now, saber rattling about the “ARMED SOLDIERS” the U.S. is sending to the border to confront the Mexican military. This included a renewed threat, as we predicted, to shut down the southern... Continue »
anti-immigrant militias detain immigrants
Armed Anti-Immigrant Militia Groups Run by Vigilantes who Illegally Detain Migrants are Emboldened by Trump but have a Long, Violent, and Racist History In April 2019, a heavily armed anti-immigrant group calling themselves the United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) illegally detained more than 200 migrant asylum seekers, many of whom... Continue »
For Trump, Politics Trumps Problem Solving President Trump and lead nativist advisor Stephen Miller are flailing and furious about the administration’s continued failures on their signature hardline immigration issue. Their cruel and simplistic deterrence-only approaches have exacerbated the complicated challenges posed by Central Americans seeking asylum and refuge. Now,... Continue »