A recent study conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) on MS-13 criminal arrests shows a surge of the gang's activity specifically in areas subject to sanctuary policies and large numbers of resettled unaccompanied alien children (UACs). According to the report, 506 MS-13 members were charged with or arrested for crimes, including 207 arrests for murder in 22 states, with 92 cases in California, 84 in Maryland, 80 in New York, and 63 in Virginia -- all states that have resettled a large number of UACs.
Since 2012, the federal government has resettled 300,000 minors and families from Central America, resulting in an influx of UACs. This increased number of UACs has supplied the gang with tens of thousands of new recruits, as young as 10 years old.
"Failed immigration policies are partly responsible for the rebound of MS-13, and immigration enforcement will have to be a key part of the strategy to combat them," Jessica Vaughan, the Center's Director of Policy Studies, said. "Because so many of the MS-13 members are here illegally, they are more vulnerable to these tactics. If state and local law enforcement agencies are not allowed to cooperate fully with ICE, then they are missing out on an opportunity to put a dent in this gang's strength. In addition, Congress must act to fix our laws to give DHS more flexibility in dealing both with the influx of minors and families and with the sanctuaries."
The report went on to show that 126 of the 506 MS-13 members, including 38 of the 207 murder suspects, entered the U.S. illegally and that 120 of the 506 arrests, including 48 of those charged with murder, entered the U.S. as UACs.
For the study's full findings, see CIS.org.
