SPECIAL REPORT: The Facts On Illegal Immigration & Border Security

An interview with the Center for Immigration Studies

Pretty much every poll shows the economy remains the #1 voter issue in the upcoming US presidential election.

Many of these same polls show immigration and border security as the second most important issue.

Concerned by reports of a surge of undocumented immigrants crossing the border illegally in recent years, many voters worry about the economic, social and political implications of this wave of bodies, and wonder if America can effectively absorb & afford them.

I recognize this is a quite sensitive topic, one that some would say is outside of the purview of this channel.

But this issue does have important economic implications, and from what I hear from viewers, many regular Americans feel they just don't have a good sense of the facts on this situation.

So I’m willing to take the risk here.

And that's why I sat down with Dr Steven Camarota, who serves as the Director of Research for the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), a non-partisan Washington, D.C.-based research institute that examines the consequences of legal and illegal immigration on the United States.

I did my best to have him lay out the facts of the situation at our borders, in as non-partisan, respectful and impartial a manner as possible.

For one of the more important discussions Thoughtful Money has yet had, click here or on the video below:

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Adam’s Notes: Steven Camarota (recorded 10.8.24)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

• As for the US *legal* immigration system, Steven would give it a "C" grade for overall processing and operations, acknowledging that professionals do their best with limited resources. However, for prioritizing skilled immigrants, he would rate the system a "D" or "F" since it focuses more on family unification rather than selecting skilled workers. In contrast, countries like Australia and Canada emphasize skills more effectively in their immigration policies.

• As for the surge in volume of *illegal* immigration over recent years, the U.S. is indeed experiencing a border security crisis. According to Jay Johnson, former DHS Secretary, 1,000 daily border crossings overwhelm the system, and for the past 3.5 years, the number has been significantly higher than that.

• This current rate of illegal immigration is unprecedented, with over 10 million border encounters reported since January 2021, including 5.6 million inadmissible aliens released into the U.S. This surge is overwhelming resources at the border and creating systemic inefficiencies.

• Additionally, during the fiscal years 2021-2023, about 1.7 million individuals were observed entering the U.S. without being apprehended, primarily at the southern border. Steven adds that this number could be even higher, with an estimated additional 600,000 crossings likely missed in the most recent fiscal year alone.

• Furthermore, the visa overstay issue also contributes significantly to illegal immigration. In 2022, approximately 800,000 people overstayed their visas, and while exact numbers for 2023 are unavailable, the trend suggests that visa overstays could add around 300,000-400,000 more each year.

• In total, Steven estimates that in the last three years, approximately 9 million people have entered the U.S. illegally, considering border encounters, visa overstays, and observed illegal entries. Of these, around