How many immigrants were apprehended at the Southwestern (U.S.-Mexico) border in 2022?
Friday Current Events
Data Scavenger Hunt
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above:
According to data form the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in fiscal year (FY) 1999, what was the total number of undocumented immigrants apprehended at the U.S. Southwest border?
According to data form the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in how many years did the number of undocumented immigrants from Mexico apprehended at the Southwestern border outnumber the number of undocumented immigrants from other countries apprehended at the Southwestern border
According to data form the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) what fiscal year (FY) had the lowest number of undocumented immigrants apprehended at the U.S. Southwest border?
According to data form the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) what fiscal year (FY) had the highest number of undocumented immigrants apprehended at the U.S. Southwest border?
In June 2023, 45,026 people were processed by the CPB at ports of entry, almost certainly a record, and more than 4 times the monthly average in fiscal year 2019 (10,500), the last full year before the pandemic hit. Describe one trend in the number of apprehensions at the Southwestern border since 1999.
Big Brain Questions
Answer these questions by yourself using your brain and the links below:
When geographers talk about the causes of immigration they talk about push factors (reasons people leave home) and pull factors (reasons people go to their new destination). Many people leave their homes because of violence, poverty, environmental degradation, political persecution, and other factors; they move to a new place for job opportunities, a reprieve from violence, or because they have connections there. What do you think is the biggest push factor and pull factor for immigrants crossing the Southwestern border.
What do you think best explains the trend you described from the data?
How has the information from the visual above impacted your own life?
Recently, we have heard a lot of press reports about foreign born people being bused or flown from Red states like Texas, Arizona, and Florida to Blue states/districts like Massachusetts, New York City, and Washington D.C. Recently, Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City claimed that New York City was being “destroyed” by an influx of migrants from the southern border. Why do you think this is happening now, how does it relate to the data from the chart above, and how will this impact the 2024 election?
American governments have used many tactics to stop immigration such as the family separation policy (which separated children from their parents) in 2018; Title 42 (a Trump and Biden administration order which quickly turned back asylum seekers at the border) from March 2020- May 2023; and now (summer 2023) razor wire buoys in the middle of the Rio Grande river separating the U.S. and Mexico. Based on the data from the visual above, explain how successful these measure have been at stopping undocumented immigrants.
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Contact the White House or call (202) 456-1111 and let President Biden and suggest one thing he could do regarding immigration.
Get Creative
What would you say to an undocumented immigrant thinking about crossing the southwestern border? Leave a comment in the comments section below for me to share.
Learn More
Check out the great visuals from WOLA below.