Illegal Immigration Is Changing. Border Security Is Still Catching Up

Post date: Oct 19, 2016 4:37:19 PM

by AMANDA SAKUMA NBC NEWS

Illegal immigration into the United States isn't what it used to be.

The prevailing assumption that Mexican migrants, mostly men, are streaming into the United States illegally in search of jobs is long outdated, the Obama administration said this week. Instead, it's overwhelmingly families from Central America who are being intercepted together at the border.

And this distinction between the shifting demographics at the border isn't just semantics. It's not so much an illegal immigration problem, but rather, a steady stream of asylum-seekers.

Related: U.S. Expands Asylum Program for Central American Children