border crisis

Jun 20 2025

Border Crackdown Discourages ‘Fraudulent Families,’ Child Trafficking

Migrant families all but ceased trying to enter the United States illegally in the last four months after the federal government started enforcing immigration laws.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents encountered less than 4,000 illegal immigrants traveling in family units between February and May — an almost inconceivable 99% drop from nearly 258,700 encounters between February and May 2024.

The startling statistic could suggest America is successfully combatting child trafficking in fraudulent families.

Immigration officials are more likely to allow families to await trial in America than single illegal migrants. Cartels and traffickers take advantage of this loophole by “renting” children to single people trying to sneak into the country.

“[Illegal aliens are] coached and mentored and given what to say by cartels and the human smuggling organizations: ‘Grab a kid, and that is your U.S. passport. That will guarantee you entry into the United States,’” former CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan told journalists in 2019.

“And guess what — they were right.”

Morgan believed America could disincentivize this kind of trafficking by keeping illegal immigrants in detention to await trial. But, between 2021 and 2024, America’s immigration procedures crumbled under record numbers of illegal migrants. Millions effectively vanished after being released from overwhelmed detention centers.

Human traffickers no doubt benefited from the chaos. As early as 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CBP confirmed the existence of “child recycling rings.” Once a fraudulent family successfully snuck into the U.S., the trafficked child would be flown back to Central or South America to complete the dangerous journey again with another “client.”

DHS data indicates as many as 3 in 10 children CBP agents encounter in family units, some as young as six months old, are not related to their supposed family members.

In 2020, the federal government expanded DNA testing programs meant to ferret out fraudulent families, signing a five-year contract with a company that provided and analyzed fast, minimally invasive, familial DNA tests.

The Biden administration terminated the program two years early in 2023 without explanation or warning.

The House Subcommittee on National Security subsequently launched an investigation into how border patrol can identify fraudulent families without DNA testing. The inquiry is ongoing.

Given what we know about fraudulent families, the dramatic decrease in illegal family units trying to sneak into the country shows America is effectively combatting a particularly heinous form of child victimization.

By refusing to release detained illegal migrants into America, officials are also preventing traffickers from continuing to exploit vulnerable children.

Additional Articles and Resources

Crackdown on Illegal Immigration Protects Children

Familial DNA Testing on the Southern Border Shouldn’t Have Ended

American immigration System Loses Contact with Tens of Thousands of Migrant Children

Trump Sees Lowest Border Numbers in History: ‘The Invasion is Over’

Violent Gang Takes Advantage of American Immigration Policy

Politics is Putting Children at Risk on the Southern Border

Trump’s Border Czar Explains Child Trafficking Under Biden Administration

It’s Compassionate to Oppose Illegal immigration. Here’s Why.

Talking to Your Kids About Illegal Immigration

My Rescue From Human Trafficking to New Life in Christ

Identifying the Signs of Human Trafficking

Mar 07 2025

Representative Says She’ll Refer ‘Sanctuary City’ Mayors for Prosecution

Mayors from four “sanctuary cities” faced questions from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform over city policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigrant authorities in their efforts to stem the tide of illegal immigration into the U.S.

Representative Anna Paulina Luna, from Florida, asked each a question about federal immigration laws. Then Luna announced she was referring Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Michelle Wu of Boston, Mike Johnston of Denver and Eric Adams of New York to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation and possible prosecution for breaking those laws.

Luna summed up her questions and the mayors’ responses, saying:

It’s very clear that these policies, that you have all implicated are active and alive and well in your cities, are in direct violation with U.S. Title 8 code, subsection 1324, and a federal offense. …

I want to be very clear about something: Open border policies, which is something you guys are talking about, hurt people on both sides, meaning the people that are coming here illegally, and then American citizens as well. …

She then told the mayors, “I think you are ideologically misled. Which is why, unfortunately, based on your responses, I’m going to be criminally referring you to the Department of Justice for investigation.”

🚨 #BREAKING: Anna Paulina Luna just told the sanctuary city mayors testifying today she will be referring them to the DOJ for prosecution

The fates of the mayors of NYC, Boston, Denver, and Chicago will now be in the hands of Pam Bondi

MAKE AN EXAMPLE! pic.twitter.com/FQiLM6nAMv
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 5, 2025

The mayors denied that they were breaking federal laws.

During the lengthy hearing, representatives offered different views on illegal immigration, highlighting issues such as crimes committed by illegal aliens, the fears of children of immigrants who believe their parents could be deported, the cost of supporting illegal aliens, and the economic costs or benefits to cities.

Ranking Member Gerry Connolly, from Virginia, stated, “Every member here today … agrees that violent criminals don’t belong in our communities.”

He added the federal government must affirm “state and local sovereignty in determining the most effective ways to keep residents safe, in compliance with federal laws.”

Connolly added that the “crusade against local independence doesn’t just undermine public safety in our community, it is blatantly cruel, and I say inhumane and un-American.”

James Comer, Kentucky, chairman of the Oversight Committee, listed horrific examples of crimes committed by illegal aliens, “Last summer, an illegal alien forcibly raped a 14-year-old girl. He hid in Denver until local law enforcement were able to apprehend him months later… On December 22, 2024, a group of illegal aliens attempted to rob and beat a 69-year-old homeless man in New York City”.

Each mayor confirmed that law enforcement officials in their cities do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to have these criminals deported.

Representative Ayanna Pressley, from a congressional district that includes northern Boston, had a different view on the issue. She first scolded her colleagues, saying,

“It’s clear my colleagues across the aisle didn’t do their homework because the fears and division they’re trying to project onto Boston are really the stuff of Fox News fever dreams. Our city is vibrant, our city is diverse, our city is beautiful.”

She went on to highlight the importance of immigration for “the economic success of Boston” throughout the years. She called current immigration policies “a dark threat looming over this great city,” deeming enforcement of federal immigration laws “racist and xenophobic.”

Pressley submitted into the record a Boston Globe article, “They’re Going to Deport Us.” She said she’d spoken with principals and educators, “and their stories are heartbreaking.”

She continued, “Elementary schoolchildren are crying in their teacher’s arms, fearful that they’re going to lose their parents to cruel and unjust deportation raids.”

Virginia Representative John McGuire highlighted the cost to taxpayers of supporting illegal aliens, stating, “It is estimated that the total added cost of illegal aliens nationwide is $150 billion per year.”

He then listed the amount each of the four cities spends annually on illegal immigrants, “Chicago has spent over $639 million, Denver spent over $365 million, Boston is spending, potentially, about $1 billion annually, and New York City estimates it could potentially spend $12 billion on illegal aliens from 2022 through fiscal year 2025.”

McGuire also stated, “We are a nation of laws. We lose credibility as a nation when we disregard or ignore the law.”

The United States has had an unsecured, unserious, and porous Southern Border for decades. And despite politicians promising to fix it for years, the border remains open.

The problem is exacerbated when state and local governments flout our nation’s laws, refusing to cooperate with federal agencies.

More than 600 cities and 11 states have ordinances, laws and executive orders that prohibit city or state employees, including those in law enforcement, from sharing information about a person’s immigration or citizenship status with anyone, including federal officers.

It’s past time our elected officials get serious about real border security.

Related Articles and Resources:

American Immigration System Loses Contact with Tens of Thousands of Migrant Children

Burgeoning Border Crisis Spirals Out of Control, Officials Fear ‘Mass Migration Event’

Fentanyl Overdoses Rise, Connection to Illegal Immigration

It’s Compassionate to Oppose Illegal Immigration. Here’s Why.

Laken Riley Murdered After Killer Took Taxpayer-Funded Flight

Laken Riley Act Passes Senate

U.S. Border Patrol Encounters 239,416 Illegal Immigrants in May, Highest in U.S. History

Violent Gang Takes Advantage of American Immigration Policy

Jan 23 2025

Trump Executive Orders Target Illegal Immigration, Troops Sent to Border

In President Donald Trump’s inaugural address, he announced he would “sign a series of historic executive orders,” adding, “With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It’s all about common sense.”

The newly inaugurated president listed the Southern Border as his top priority, saying, “First, I will declare a national emergency at our Southern Border.” Then he listed some actions he would take, including halting all illegal entry into the country, ending “the practice of catch and release,” and sending “troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”

The president made good on this promise, signing a flurry of executive orders related to illegal immigration and sending more troops to the border.

It’s difficult to get a solid count on how many people have entered the country illegally, but the House Committee on Homeland Security released a factsheet, “Startling Stats,” that details U.S. Customs and Border Protection border encounters with undocumented immigrants. The agency reported 3 million encounters from 2017-2020 and 10.8 million from 2021-2024.

Those numbers don’t include those who may cross the border without encountering an agent. The factsheet adds:

Roughly 2 million known gotaways have evaded Border Patrol agents since FY 2021.

Data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows that, as of July 21, 2024, nearly 650,000 criminal illegal aliens were currently on ICE’s Non-Detained Docket (NDD) and roaming free in the interior.

Since FY2021, 9,055 pounds of fentanyl were seized between ports of entry by Border Patrol, compared to just 1,604 pounds from FY2017-FY2020.

As far as how many illegal aliens actually live in the U.S., the Center for Migration Studies recently stated, “The total undocumented population increased to about 11.7 million in July 2023, an increase of about 800,000 compared to the previous July.”

But the actual number may be much larger.

A study from three Yale-affiliated researchers, using a different data set, estimated “there are 22.1 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.”

And that was back in 2018. Undoubtedly, given the influx of undocumented aliens over the last six years, the number is higher today.

So President Trump is acting to deal with this issue. First, he signed an executive order rescinding orders and actions from the Biden administration that opened our borders to illegal immigration, such as an order “to address the causes of immigration” and “manage migration throughout North and Central America.”

Then, he issued a slew of executive orders and actions, including:

Declaring A National Emergency At The Southern Border Of The United States. As justification, the order cites the influx of “foreign criminal gangs and cartels” and deaths “from drug overdoses because of the illicit narcotics that have flowed across the southern border.” It directs the “Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security … to construct additional physical barriers along the southern border” and the Secretary of Defense to order armed units to the border.
Clarifying The Military’s Role In Protecting The Territorial Integrity Of The United States. The order gives the U.S. Northern Command “the mission to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States.” At least 1,500 troops are already being sent to safeguard the border.
Realigning The United States Refugee Admissions Program. The order details the harms from “record levels of migration” to cities and towns and suspends the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program until it can be determined that resuming the entry of refugees is in the interests of the United States.
Securing Our Borders. The presidential action states, “A nation without borders is not a nation, and the Federal Government must act with urgency and strength to end the threats posed by an unsecured border.” It makes it the official policy of the U.S. to secure the borders by building a wall, deterring entry of illegal aliens, and removing those have already entered illegally.
Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship. The order explains that those born in the U.S. are not automatically citizens if their parents are not lawful residents or citizens. This order is already being challenged by lawsuits from attorneys general in 22 states and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Protecting The American People Against Invasion. The edict declares, “It is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people,” and it directs agencies to take action accordingly.
Protecting The United States From Foreign Terrorists And Other National Security And Public Safety Threats. The directive tells agencies to enhance vetting and screening processes to eliminate threats from “aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”
Guaranteeing The States Protection Against Invasion. The presidential order says the influx of illegal aliens threatens public health, safety and national security, declares it is the role of the federal government “to protect each of [the States] against Invasion” and takes action to protect the states.
Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Declares organizations “such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)” to be foreign terrorist organizations and a threat to safety and national security and says it is official policy “to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States.”

Of course all illegal aliens aren’t violent, but some are, and safeguarding the border and following immigration laws already in place is a way to protect citizens and reduce harms.

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