Migrants Being Arrested Are Surging

The number of migrants arrested has surged in recent years under the Biden administration.

Illegal immigration has risen under President Joe Biden's watch and continues to divide communities around the country, notably border states and cities with sanctuary status.

Total border crossings exceeded 988,900 individuals between October and December, following a record-setting number of 2.4 million migrant encounters at the southern border in fiscal 2023—up from approximately 1.7 million in 2021.

Arrests of criminal noncitizens, described by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as illegal migrants who have been convicted of one or more crimes in the United States or abroad, have increased annually since fiscal 2020. The fiscal year begins on October 1.

In comparison to data published by CBP in February 2023 and February 2022, migrant arrests are currently outpacing those numbers.

The 5,616 arrests reported by CBP, as part of the most recently released data, exceeds the 3,030 arrests in 2023 (as of February 18) and the 2,424 arrests in 2022 (also as of February 18).

Ira Mehlman, spokesperson for the nonpartisan Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), told Newsweek via phone that the crime rates are generally higher among the undocumented due to the lack of a rigorous vetting process.

"All of these things result in people losing their lives because the government isn't doing its job," Mehlman said. "Sanctuary policies are compounding the danger of being presented. If they were properly implemented, Laken Riley would still be alive today."

Mehlman's comments referred to the high-profile case of Riley, a student at the Augusta University College who was found dead near the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens (UGA) and was allegedly killed by 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who has been arrested and charged in connection to her death.

Legislation introduced by Republican Georgia State Representative Jesse Petrea prior to Riley's death is currently being weighed by state senators. If enacted, members of law enforcement would be permitted to arrest individuals suspected of being in the U.S. illegally.

These are the annual number of criminal arrests of individuals illegally in the U.S. dating back to fiscal 2017, when Donald Trump was president, according to CBP data:

• 2017 – 8,531
• 2018 – 6,698
• 2019 – 4,269
• 2020 – 2,438
• 2021 – 10,763
• 2022 – 12,028
• 2023 – 15,267
• 2024 – 5,616 (as of March 21, 2024)

Most annual arrests are directly related to individuals attempting to illegally re-enter the U.S.

Assault, battery and domestic violence crimes in the current fiscal year account for 372 crimes; burglary, robbery and theft crimes total 236 incidents; driving under the influence crimes total 935; and illegal drug possession charges total 536.

Mehlman said the overarching issue is the sheer volume of immigration straining the system, adding that most immigrants enter the country for economic reasons—including a majority who seek asylum.

"One of the things criminals take advantage of is that the system is so overwhelmed it just can't function," he said. "Border Patrol and CBP don't have the time or resources. ... Everyone acknowledges that no system is perfect, you do the best you can do. It's a game of Russian roulette."

Rates of homicides committed by illegal migrants in the United States have also increased overall during the Biden administration, though rates at this point in the fiscal year are about average compared with past years dating to 2021.

Homicide rates in mid-March of the past four fiscal years, from 2021 to the present, have totaled three, 22, 10 and 14.

To date, there have been 162 total homicides committed by migrants since fiscal 2017, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. Between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2020, when Trump was in the White House, there were 11 total homicide or manslaughter crimes documented by CBP.

Texas, led by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, has attempted to enact its own immigration laws allowing state officers to arrest, detain and remove individuals suspected of being in the United States illegally.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 to allow the law (Senate Bill 4) to go into effect. Later that same day, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals put the legislation back on hold in a 2-1 ruling, pending an appeal to the federal judge's initial ruling.