Humanitarian Crisis Fueled By Insecure Border

  • Many migrants undertake a dangerous journey to the U.S. and suffer harm, abuse, or exploitation along the way.
  • Women in particular more likely to be sexually victimized and exploited.
    • One in three women who travel across Mexico in hopes of reaching the U.S. is sexually assaulted along the way.
  • Many migrants bring children with them on this perilous journey.
  • An insecure border propagates an unsafe environment for migrants.

Porous Border Is a National Security Risk

  • A porous border makes it impossible for U.S.border patrol officials to accurately track who enters the country.
  • People from all over the world attempt to enter the U.S. via the border, sometimes from countries with significant ties to terrorism.
  • Migrants and traffickers exploit the weaknesses in our border security and immigration laws; many are coached to seek asylum as refugees.

Solution: Secure the Border

  • The humanitarian crisis and national security risk will only be alleviated when the U.S. acts to secure the border.
  • The U.S. can secure the border by allocating sufficient resources for increased physical barriers to deter migrants from crossing undetected.
  • As a future goal, the U.S. can pursue comprehensive reform that better enforces current laws and fixes our broken immigration system.

Click here to read the full policy focus and learn more about the crisis at the southern border.