How many immigrants were apprehended at the Southwestern (U.S.-Mexico) border in 2022?
Current Event Friday
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, links provided, and your big brain:
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 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.
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.
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?
Nearly three months after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of the 1,000-foot line of buoys and razor wire in the Rio Grande, an Austin federal judge ordered the state to remove the barrier and stop building further obstructions in the river. How does this ruling illustrate the concept of federalism.
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.
Title 42 is the name of an emergency health authority from a 1944 public health law allowing curbs on migration in the name of protecting public health. Title 42 was first used in March 2020 during President Donald Trump’s administration. To prevent the spread of COIVD-19, Title 42 allowed U.S. officials return migrants across the U.S.-Mexico and denied the right to seek asylum. U.S. officials turned away migrants more than 2.8 million times. In the first years of his administration President Biden continued to use Title 42 to slow immigration until he stopped using it on May 11, 2023. In the last year lawsuits regarding Title 42 made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. How does Title 42 illustrate the concept of separation of powers.
Learn More
Check out the great visuals from WOLA below.
Action Extension
Contact the White House or call (202) 456-1111 and let President Biden and suggest one thing he could do regarding immigration.
Visual Extension
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