Border Crossing Numbers Highlight Failures of President Trump’s Zero-Tolerance Policy

Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the dramatic increase in apprehension rates along the U.S.-Mexico Border compared to this time last year:

“Despite the Trump administration’s spurious claim that a month-over-month decline in apprehensions along the Southwest border is evidence that his zero-tolerance policy is working, the truth is the newly released numbers reveal just the opposite.

“If we look at the complete picture, according to the Trump administration’s report, the number of families apprehended at the border last month actually increased by 142 percent compared to the same time last year. In fact, the overall apprehension rates were up 57 percent compared to the previous July, and this year’s numbers are trending closer to historical averages than the president is willing to admit.

“As we continue to measure the fallout from the president’s appalling family separation policy, more than 500 children are still being detained by the federal government, unsure if they’ll see their families again.

“Considering the costs of these hardline immigration tactics, both in real dollars and in terms of the suffering that has been imposed in our name, one thing is clear: President Trump’s cruel tactic of systematically removing children from their parents was a complete failure – it deterred no one.”

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