There has been a large increase in the number of Haitian migrants crossing into the U.S. illegally this past fiscal year. An internal Homeland Security document shows the cost, means and number of Haitian illegally entering in 2016. From fiscal year 2015 to 2016 the total number of Haitians migrants was 339; for fiscal year 2016 the number had jumped to 6,121. Why the sudden surge?

There are a number of contributing factors, the greatest being Barack Obama’s lax immigration policy. As Joe Kasper, chief of staff for Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), stated, “The exponential increase in Haitian migrants showing up at the southern border is truly astonishing, and it shows one of the many consequences of President Obama’s immigration policy, which invites illegal entry and exploitation of the system.”

The document also noted that Mexico in particular has been complicit in exploiting the U.S.‘s lax border and immigration enforcement by providing Haitian migrants with “20-day transit documents” as they enter into Mexico’s southern border. Evidently, Mexico’s way of dealing with the Haitian illegal immigrants is to pass them on to the U.S. There is evidence that the Mexican government may have arrangements with criminal factions to smuggle the migrants since over 90% of the Haitians are entering near San Diego. Not only is Mexico exploiting lax U.S. border enforcement, they are exploiting these Haitian migrants.

This is yet another example of how Obama’s policy of choosing not to enforce the nation’s laws on national sovereignty in the name of compassion only proves to further exacerbate the problem, exploit those who may be seeking legitimate asylum and unduly burdens the nation. Law enforcement, not compassion, is the job of the government. To favor the cause of non-citizens over citizens is the sure sign of a government that has lost its way.