U.S. Census Bureau data indicate that 3.1 million new immigrants (both legal and illegal) settled in the United States in 2014 and 2015, or more than 1.5 million annually. That represents a 39-percent increase over the prior two years. Of that number, about one third, 1.1 million (or 550,000 annually) were new illegal immigrants, an increase of more than 57 percent over the 700,000 illegal immigrants (350,000 annually) who entered in 2012 and 2013.
These new Census Bureau figures were studied in an analysis made by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), a non-profit research organization that advocates immigration reduction in the United States.
The analysis of the data was conducted by CIS’s director of research. The report attributed the increase in immigration to several factors, including cutbacks in border and immigration enforcement, an improved economy (which attracts more immigrants), and the “expansive nature” of our legal immigration system (especially for long-term temporary visas such as guest workers and foreign students).
The report noted:
The big increase in new arrivals in the last two years was driven by a rise in immigration from Latin America, particularly countries other than Mexico; South Asia (e.g. Pakistan and India); and East Asia (e.g. China and Vietnam).
The new data released by the Census Bureau was reflected in recently released Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data showing a rise in the number of apprehensions of aliens crossing the border illegally. This rise continued a pattern established during the first six months of fiscal 2016 (which ended on March 31) as the U.S. Border Patrol set a new record in April. Border Patrol agents arrested a total of 38,135 illegal aliens during the 30-day period — about 1,271 per day.
A report in Breitbart on May 13 cited CBP data indicating that since fiscal year 2014, border agents have apprehended nearly 47,000 criminal aliens — over 6,400 of whom were caught more than once.
Related article:
Numbers Climb for Apprehension of Illegals During Fiscal 2016
