Speaking from the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared that illegal immigration has officially entered into the “Trump era.”
“For those that continue to seek improper and illegal entry into this country, be forewarned: This is a new era. This is the Trump era,” the nation’s highest law enforcement officer said. “The lawlessness, the abdication of the duty to enforce our immigration laws, and the catch and release practices of old are over.”
Sessions toured the terrain along the international border in Nogales, Ariz., which is roughly 70 miles south of Tucson. The Tucson area used to be one of the busiest for illegal immigration, but that has shifted in recent years to Texas.
President Trump has made border protection “a priority — and already we are seeing the results,” Sessions noted.
“From January to February of this year, illegal crossings dropped by 40 percent, which was unprecedented. Then, last month, we saw a 72 percent drop compared to the month before the president was inaugurated. That’s the lowest monthly figure for at least 17 years,” Sessions explained.
Sessions also announced that federal prosecutors will now adhere to new laws when it comes to prosecuting immigration offenses. In a memo separate from his remarks, Sessions set prosecutors will be mandated to the “prioritization of criminal immigration enforcement.”
Sessions also announced there will be 50 more immigrations put on the bench this year, and 75 more next year.
“We can no longer afford to wait 18 to 24 months to get these new judges on the bench. So today, I have implemented a new, streamlined hiring plan. It requires just as much vetting as before, but reduces the timeline, reflecting the dire need to reduce the backlogs in our immigration courts,” Sessions said.
