Bush Ties Drop in Illegal Immigration to His Policies

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/washington/10bush.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1176226491-Dhwyd/dy2aud9Wkxd3X2IQ

Bush Ties Drop in Illegal Immigration to His Policies

By ROBERT PEAR
Published: April 10, 2007

YUMA, Ariz., April 9 — President Bush said Monday that tougher enforcement and a new fence at the Mexican border had sharply reduced the influx of illegal immigrants, and he pressed Congress to pass a sweeping revision of the nation’s immigration laws.

“It’s amazing progress that’s been made,” Mr. Bush said on a return visit to a section of the border that he inspected 11 months ago.

In the last six months, the White House said, Border Patrol reports showed that apprehensions of illegal immigrants along the Mexican border fell by 30 percent, to 418,184, from 594,142 in the comparable period a year earlier. In the Yuma sector, which spans parts of Arizona and California, apprehensions fell by 68 percent, to 25,217, from 79,131 in the comparable period a year earlier.

There are now 13,000 Border Patrol agents, up from 9,000 a year earlier. The number will reach 18,000 by the end of next year, Mr. Bush said.

The White House interprets the decline in apprehensions as a sign that the tighter security is working.

“When you’re apprehending fewer people, it means fewer are trying to come across,” Mr. Bush said. “And fewer are trying to come across because we’re deterring people from attempting illegal border crossings in the first place.”

While Border Patrol commanders have expressed cautious optimism that a corner is being turned, immigration experts note that apprehension figures swing erratically over the years. The numbers can be driven by a variety of factors aside from enforcement, including weather, Latin American economics and decisions by illegal immigrants to make fewer trips back and forth between the United States and Mexico.

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[porphyrian]

1. Until he takes responsibility for the plethora of failures that have resulted from his policies...

...he has no place claiming credit for something that accidentally goes right.

[Zodiak]

2. Or it could be that the US

is turning into a third world dictatorship and no one wants to come here any more. Why leave the dictator at home only to acquire one in a new land? Hey, my explanation has as much data to back it as Bush's does.

[mtnsnake]

6. Or it could be that our economy is nothing to write home to mother about

...especially if you're in the lower or middle class. With the way things are going in our country, Mexico may have to put up its own fence for fear the flow of immigrants might reverse in direction!

If you get a chance, Zodiak, check your inbox. Thanks!

[Zodiak]

7. Once again, no worries.

You will get a more thoughtful response that this, I promise you.

[xultar]

3. His plan was to fuck up the usa so much that people won't want to come.

Mishun Accomplolished.

[IWantAChange]

4. Not being cynical - just realistic - who in the world believes any statistic from these people?

the housing industry is in the toilet - layoffs are announced constantly and yet unemployment does not go up - in fact - the last employment number was higher than expected.

[theoldman]

5. Gee, I thought it was the result of global warming.

If it's alright for Bush to guess it should be alright for me to guess.

[murloc]

8. 418,000 in 6 months??

Given that they only apprehend a fraction of those that sneak in, that mean MILLIONS are coming in on his watch.

So millions sneak in, yet he calls it a success?? What would constitute failure?