Illegal immigration, sidelined by the so-called “Trump effect” in the past year, is likely to surge 70 percent this year as undocumented aliens try to get into the United States before the president’s border wall is constructed and to take advantage of the booming economy, according to a leading expert.

“We forecast total apprehensions and inadmissables across the southwest U.S. border at 590,000 for calendar year 2018. This would be the second highest year since 2010,” said Steven Kopits, president of Princeton Policy Advisors in New Jersey.