The Nature and Impact of Illegal Immigration on Security in Texas
Prepared for the Texas Public Policy Foundation by Sylvia Longmire
February 2015
Table of ContentsFebruary 2015
Prepared for Texas Public Policy Foundationby Sylvia Longmire
Executive Summary .......................................................................................3Introduction ........................................................................................................4 Trends in Border Crime ................................................................................4Overview of Legal Immigration Policies and Procedures .......6Asylum .............................................................................................................7 Temporary Protected Status ...............................................................8Overview of Human Smuggling in Central America ................8Special Interest Aliens and OTMs .................................................10Use of False/Fraudulent Documentation ................................11Immigration Patterns in Texas and Beyond ..................................12 The Texas Border Security Apparatus ...............................................15Identifying and Differentiating Threats .....................................18Conclusions ......................................................................................................19Appendix A: Violent Crime Statistical Trends...............................21Appendix B: Illegal Immigrant Apprehensions ..........................24Endnotes ............................................................................................................26
February 2015 The Nature and Impact of Illegal Immigration on Security in Texas
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The Nature and Impact of Illegal Immigration on Security in Texas
Prepared for the Texas Public Policy Foundation by Sylvia Longmire
Executive Summary
Te state o exas has become the epicenter o illegal immigration rom Central America, and continues to be a prime destination or migrants rom Mexico, South America, and other countries around the globe. Tese cross-border flows o people shif in number and location based on multiple actors, including economic and security conditions in both the U.S. and source countries, real and perceived U.S. immigration policy decisions and changes, and U.S. law enorcement efforts across all parts o the southwest border. Tese shifing flows have varying impacts on different parts and sectors o exas, and have prompted concerns rom individuals who eel the state’s economy and security are being negatively impacted by illegal immigration. Tis analysis indicates that some areas and sectors in exas are being negatively impacted more than others, and some not at all.
Key Points
Te combination o topography, environmental regulations, private property ownership, and ederal unding challenges have prevented the ull effectiveness o border encing in South exas, although the ence and tech-nological platorms have met with more success along other parts o the exas–Mexico border.
Current U.S. immigration policies allow ew opportunities or average Mexican and Central American citizens to emigrate legally to the U.S., with typical visa wait times as long as 20 years.
A lack o economic opportunities and security in countries like Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Hondu-ras—combined with the relative unavailability o visas—have prompted hundreds o thousands o individuals rom these countries to seek assistance rom human smuggling networks.
Human smuggling networks are extremely active in exas, and make hundreds o millions o dollars in profits every year rom smuggling migrants rom Mexico into exas.
It is very easy and relatively inexpensive or illegal immigrants to obtain raudulent documentation that allows them to obtain employment in low-skilled jobs in exas.
Kidnappings are not tracked through the UCR database, nor are “criminal on criminal” or unreported crimes that could represent violent Mexican drug cartel activity in exas. Anecdotal evidence and open source report-ing indicate these activities may be increasing.
Overall, violent crime in exas border cities and communities has not significantly changed between 2003-2012, according to data gleaned rom the FBI’s Uniorm Crime Reports (UCR) database.
While many illegal immigrants do stay in larger exas cities and smaller border communities, a significant num-ber continue travel beyond the state to reunite with amily members elsewhere.
Federal, state, and local law enorcement authorities in exas use a variety o methods to prevent the illegal entry o migrants rom Mexico, with mixed results.
Recent executive action taken by President Obama will impact immigrants who have been living in exas or several years, but it is not expected to stimulate a significant shif in current immigration patterns.
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