Long before President Trump revealed his intentions to run for the highest office in the land, he made a promise that became a centerpiece in his campaign.
A U.S. Border Patrol vehicle sits parked near where a Las Posadas event at the U.S.-Mexico border wall took place, as several asylum seeking families participate in the event on the Mexico side of the border fence Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Douglas, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Long before President Trump revealed his intentions to run for the highest office in the land, he made a promise that became a centerpiece in his campaign.
“As far as our borders are concerned — we need strong borders, we need a wall,” he previously stated. “If I run I tell you, the king of building buildings, the king of building walls — nobody can build them like Trump, that I can promise you.”
While the construction of more than 430 miles of border wall is within the exact phrasing of the President’s campaigning, his dedication to strengthening Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been a much needed boost in America’s defense.
In a report released Tuesday, CBP showed the President’s promise is as necessary now as it was in 2016. According to the agency’s year-to-date statistics of convictions, it has conducted more than 176,000 “enforcement actions” since the beginning of October. Those include seizing nearly 135,000 pounds of drugs and recovering more than $10 million.
The @ICEgov FY2020 report is out. ERO’s director explains this year’s impacts on immigration enforcement.
Learn more: https://t.co/xl8a3cng9P pic.twitter.com/0zJrY9grPK
— Executive Associate Director Henry Lucero (@ICEgovERO) December 23, 2020
Of the numerous arrests the agency has made at the border, 60 of which so far have been connected to violent gangs such as MS-13. In fiscal year 2020, ICE removed 185,000 people, nearly 119,000 of whom had outstanding warrants or pending criminal charges.
The effort made to keep violent criminals out of the country has succeeded with reports showing the percentage of re-offenders has continually gone down since the President took office with no recidivism reported so far in fiscal year 2021.
FILE – In this June 23, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump smiles after autographing a section of the border wall during a tour in San Luis, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
