Is anyone shocked that CAP has found a way to say that the policy doesn’t work as a deterrence, and that Newsweek was happy to run with it? As a sidebar, had Newsweek been using a right side source, they would have labeled them a far-right source. CAP couldn’t be further to the left
NO EVIDENCE FAMILY SEPARATION POLICIES DETER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, STUDY FINDS
Neither family separation nor family detention have worked as effective “deterrents” to illegal immigration to the United States, according to a new study analyzing data on southwest border apprehensions over time.
In May, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said the “big name of the game” of separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border was “deterrence.”
“It could be a tough deterrent—would be a tough deterrent,” Kelly claimed in an interview with NPR.
However, after poring over 81 months of data from October 2011 to June 2018, the Center for American Progress has has found that neither family separation or family detention have worked as effective methods for discouraging immigrants from trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border outside of designated crossing points.
“The Obama administration used family detention in response to an increase in Central American families and unaccompanied children arriving at the southwest border. And the Trump administration has turned to family separation and to the detention of families,” Tom K. Wong, senior fellow for immigration policy at CAP, said in a statement shared online.
Perhaps had the same outlets having hissy fits now because Trump is in office published that this was going on then, and the Democrat elected officials done the same, it would have been broadcast far and wide.
In its analysis, CAP found that there was “no immediate or long-term decrease in apprehensions of families at the southwest border after the expanded use of family detention in July 2014.”
CAP said that the “expanded use of family detention” is “not statistically significantly related to decreases in the monthly number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions of families at the southwest border.”
“Similarly, the monthly number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions of families at the southwest border has not decreased as a result of family separation,” researchers said.
“In fact, the monthly number of apprehensions has increased after the administration’s zero tolerance pilot in July 2017.”
Let’s consider: 1st, the announced policy hasn’t been in the public eye long enough to make a difference. Second, could it be that border officials are detaining more families, rather than just catching and releasing? Third, this policy is surely butting heads with the Democratic Party talking points about letting families in to the country willy nilly, along with not separating them when caught. Remember, a lot of these so-called family units are crossing at places and times that they will easily be caught on purpose, hoping to be simply release with a promise *wink wink* to return for a hearing. And they’re bringing kids (we often do not know if the kids are even theirs) as a way of garnering sympathy and a free pass, rather than sending their kids separately.
Regardless, the policy hasn’t been in the public eye long enough to make a difference. If this is still a problem in a year or two, then we’ll know it doesn’t work. A wall. Quick deportations. One party (and a few squishes in the GOP) who do not support people unlawfully invading our nation.
