Apprehensions of illegal immigrants are up 13 percent this year, the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol told Congress on Wednesday as lawmakers continued to bash the Obama administration for failing to come up with a way of measuring how secure the borders are.
The increase in apprehensions appears to contradict the administration’s assertion that the border is more secure than ever — a claim that is critical to advocates’ hopes of passing an immigration legalization bill this year.
“We have seen an increase in attempted entries,” Border Patrol Chief Michael J. Fisher told a Senate committee, adding that part of the reason for the increase was the lure of a potential deal that would legalize most illegal immigrants now in the country.
Mr. Fisher said that the administration is working to come up with a way to measure border security and is beginning to share that information with Congress. That appears to be a reversal from just last month, when another top Homeland Security Department official testified that the yardsticks the department was using weren’t meant to be shared with Congress or the public.
“Have you developed the metrics or not?” Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, demanded.
“You have? You have?” he said. “And we’re using them?”
“We’re just starting to,” Mr. Fisher replied.
The exchange highlighted one of the thorniest issues as lawmakers try to write an immigration bill this year.
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