President Trump this week touted that his administration has done more in its first 90 days in office than nearly any other in history. In at least one area, he is definitely producing results---immigration. According to figures from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), total immigration arrests were up by more than 32-percent in the period from Inauguration Day until mid-March compared with the same period a year ago. A total of 21,362 illegal immigrants were arrested by ICE during this period, with nearly three-quarters of those arrested having prior criminal convictions.
While President Trump hasn't changed any immigration laws, he has instructed his administration to begin enforcing current ones. "It's good news for those who believe in the rule of law and who believe the President should actually be enforcing the law," says Hans Von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow with the Heritage Foundation. He tells KTRH that Trump's policies are also having an impact at the border. "March had the lowest number of illegal crossers at the southern border in 17 years," says Von Spakovsky. Indeed, illegal border crossings have plummeted in recent weeks.
The biggest difference in the Trump policy has been the freedom given to federal agents to enforce existing laws, according to Von Spakovsky. "Individuals who told me they worked for the Department of Homeland Security--longtime career people--came up to me, and they were so happy that they are finally going to be allowed to do their jobs," he says.
Ultimately, Von Spakovsky believes the increased enforcement will drive down all illegal immigration to the United States. "This concentration on both criminal illegal aliens who are most of the deportees, but also on others, will get the message across that we are no longer welcoming illegal aliens," he says.
Or as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently said: "The border is not open. Please don't come."