Trump Is Wrong. Illegal Immigration is Down
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump consistently portrays illegal immigration as a mounting crisis warranting drastic measures.
"Just look at the record number of people right now that are pouring across the borders of this country," Trump said to reporters Tuesday night at a party celebrating his victory in five more Republican primary states.
But Trump's claims of record levels of illegal immigration don't match the facts.
Multiple studies show rates of illegal immigration are declining. And federal statisticsshow the lowest number of border apprehensions in years.
According to recent estimates by the Center for Migration Studies, the number of immigrants living in the country without authorization has fallen to the lowest level since 2003, thanks in part to a major buildup of border security started by President George W. Bush and continued by President Obama.
The decrease among Mexicans has been particularly stark, with net migration of Mexicans to the U.S. falling to lows not seen since the 1940s, according to Pew Research Center.
