[2/12/19] – Crime at the U.S. Southern Border: Is There a Crisis?

President Trump delivered his annual State of the Union Address on February 5th, 2019, where he urged members of Congress to address the crisis at the southern border by funding the construction of a wall that is intended to help curb illegal immigration and high crime rates. However, data from the Uniform Crime Reports contradict the President’s claims. According to the FBI, in 2017, the violent crime and property rates for border counties were lower than those of non-border counties and the rest of the United States.

Instructors, click on the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt, a debate question, as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Crime at the U.S. Southern Border: Is There A Crisis?

Video

 

Articles

• 2019 State of the Union full transcript, The White House

• “State of the Union: Facts show Trump wrong to say El Paso dangerous city until fence,” El Paso Times

• “Trump claims there is a crisis at the border. What’s the reality?,” The New York Times

• “Crime along the Mexican border is lower than the rest of the country,” Cato Institute

Assessment

• Writing: Is there a relationship between illegal immigration and high crime rates?
• Debate: There is a crisis at the U.S. Southern border.
• Poll: Do you believe that Congress should pass President Trump’s proposal, which allocates funding to protect the southern border?
• Short Answer: Why are crime rates/statistics important?

 

Current Events Quiz

1. President Trump focused on which of the following border cities in his attempt to garner support for his border security plan?

a. El Paso, Texas

b. San Diego, California

c. Nogales, Arizona

d. Rio Grande City, Texas

2. The number of arrests for illegally crossing the Mexican border have been the lowest under which presidential administration?

a. Clinton

b. George W. Bush

c. Obama

d. Trump

3. According to the FBI, non-border counties had higher _______ rates than border counties.

a. violent crime

b. property crime

c. homicide

d. all of these are correct

 

4. El Paso, Texas was a very dangerous city prior to the building of a fence after the passage of the Secure Fence Act. (T/F)

 

5. Data shows that illegal border crossing have been increasing and contributing to high violent crime rates. (T/F)

 

6. Most drugs are seized at ports of entry, not open borders. (T/F)

 

Featured Image: iStock.com/ElFlacodelNorte