Texas is No Longer The Go-To State For Illegal Migrant Crossing

Statistics show a dramatic decrease in the number of illegal migrants crossing into the United States through Texas, according to a recent article by Newsweek. El Paso, Del Rio, Big Bend, Laredo, and Rio Grande Valley have seen a dramatic downturn in activity this year when compared to the number of illegal migrant crossings over the same period in 2023. Arizona and California, on the other hand, have seen a large increase.

From the fiscal year's beginning until March, the El Paso region saw 30,420 law enforcement-migrant encounters. In 2023, 40,103 encounters between illegal migrants and authorities were registered during the first three months of the year, a 24.1 percent decrease.

Data shows that Big Bend saw a 63.7 percent decrease in suspected illegal crossings during the same time frame, from 1,200 to only 436 reported cases. The numbers in Del Rio dropped 52.8 percent, from 23,904 to 11,281. Laredo fell by 42.8 percent, from 5,210 to 2,978, and Rio Grande Valley fell by 49.5 percent, from 17,956 to 9,065.

The number of reported illegal migrant and law enforcement encounters in Tuscon, Arizona saw an increase of 23.7 percent, from 33,898 to 41,941. Yuma, however, saw a major decrease in cases. Between Jan 1st and March 31st, 2023, numbers fell from 13,667 to 5,865. There is still a net increase in Arizona overall, despite the steep drop in Yuma.

California's San Diego region showed an increase of 45.1 percent, from 23,286 to 33,784, but, the numbers from El Centro decreased from 4,448 to 1,710. Even still, the overall number of reported illegal migrant encounters increased.

Illegal immigration is a hot-button topic in Texas right now, but it looks like migrants are opting for different routes to get into the United States. If there's a will, there's a way.

Last April, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said there have been just over half a million suspected undocumented migrants detained by the state of Texas since 2021. There must be a better and cheaper solution to this issue than building walls and throwing people in detainment.

Do you think there should be an easier path to US citizenship? I'd love to hear from you. Please drop a comment below this article wherever you come across it, or email me directly at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com.

For the complete analysis by Newsweek, click here.