|
|
|
When Obama
took office |
As Trump
takes office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprehensions of people entering illegally from Mexico | Despite Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric about illegal immigration and insistence that the US needs to build a border wall, not to mention his harsh comments about Mexicans in particular, the number of “illegal alien apprehensions” of Mexican nationals at all US ports and borders has been in a sharp decline since 2009. (Sources: 1, 2) | 503,386 (FY 2009) | 192,969 (FY 2016) |
| Apprehensions of people entering illegally from other countries | In fact, as the number of Mexicans apprehended at the border declined, the number of non-Mexicans caught saw a dramatic increase, attributable in part to a recent influx of Central Americans, many of whom are seeking asylum. (Sources: 1, 2) | 52,655 (FY 2009) | 222,847 (FY 2016) |
| People in the U.S. illegally | Despite many of the fears raised during the campaign about illegal immigration, the number of people in the U.S. illegally in fact has fallen off since its 2007 peak and has held relatively steady over the last few years. (Sources: 1, 2) | 11.9 million (2008) | 11.1 million (2014) |
| Refugee admissions | The number of refugees admitted to the U.S. has grown substancially since 2008, driven largely by increases from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. (Sources: 1, 2) | 60,191 (2008) | 84,995 (2016) |