Donald Trump says illegal immigration is at a record high. He’s wrong

According to recent estimates by the Center for Migration Studies, the number of immigrants living in the country without authorization has fallen to the lowest level since 2003, thanks in part to a major buildup of border security started by President George W. Bush and continued by President Obama.

The decrease among Mexicans has been particularly stark, with net migration of Mexicans to the U.S. falling to lows not seen since the 1940s, according to Pew Research Center.

Which all begs a question: Why has Trump focused on illegal immigration now, given that it’s a less significant phenomenon than it was in the past?

It’s possible that he just doesn’t know and it doesn’t occur to him to ask.

One of Trump’s defining features is that he thinks he is right about everything all the time and never considers that he might be wrong. When reality doesn’t line up with his beliefs he attacks the messenger as being politically correct or a lightweight or for the way they talk or look.