Demands for asylum from Central American immigrants claiming fear of murder and violence back home have surged over 800 percent, despite a massive drop in murder and violence in that region, according to Justice Department and United Nations statistics.
In what critics charge is the clearest sign that immigrants are gaming the system, those seeking asylum from just three countries — El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — hit an all-time high of 76,023 in fiscal year 2017.
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Many claim “credible fear” back home and the media has largely pushed that cause. The New York Times, for example, said in an opinion piece today about a California holding facility, “Many of the people detained there are seeking asylum, running less toward the American dream than away from a Central American nightmare.”
New murder figures, however, show that while the rate is still high, the number of murders is those countries is the lowest since 2004, when the murder total in so-called Northern Triangle, responsible for most legal and illegal crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border, was 10,919. In fiscal 2017 the total was 12,147, according to the figures pulled together in graphics by a public policy expert.
In just the last three years, for example, the total murder number has dropped from 16,582 to 12,147. But those seeking asylum from the Northern Triangle have nearly tripled, from 27,512 to 76,023.
“It’s not news that there is a lot of violent crime in Central America, but it is a stretch to say that this is responsible for the recent influx of parents and kids coming across the border illegally and asking for asylum,” said Jessica M. Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies.
“The violence has been a problem for a long time, but the influx of asylum seekers is a much newer development. And, the violence seems to have gotten a little better, but the influx of asylum seekers has exploded in the last several years,” she added.
That explosion occurred during the Obama presidency when the former president signaled that he was willing to open the borders to asylum seekers.
President Trump has moved to reverse that trend and has slashed those granted asylum. In addition, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has moved to make it tougher for immigrants to get asylum by claiming they are outrunning violence.
Other studies have shown that most immigrants try to enter the United States for economic reasons.
Vaughan explained, “Since these migrants are coming because of lenient policies, the only thing that will change that dynamic is to change the policies. We have to end the catch and release policy, resolve the asylum claims quickly, and promptly return those who do not qualify for asylum. By all means, let’s help them with the violence too, if they would like our help, but we can’t pretend that this will make much difference in the our illegal immigration problem.”
