DHS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States is — by far — one of the most heavily visited countries in the world. In 2018, nearly 80 million people visited the U.S., pumping over $1 trillion into its economy. Most business travelers and tourists are allowed to stay anywhere from 90 days to six months before returning home. While the vast majority do just that, a few never actually leave. They become ‘overstayers,’ and although it’s a tiny percentage of visa-holders — less than 2 percent —the numbers add up pretty quickly. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 700,000 people overstayed their visas last year. While many eventually leave, the aggregate numbers add up: It’s estimated that half of the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are visa overstayers. They didn’t cross the border illegally; they arrived legally but then just did not go home when they were supposed to. Overstayers don’t get nearly the attention that illegal border-crossers do, but they amount to such a big chunk of the undocumented- immigrant population that they shouldn’t be ignored in the immigration debate.”
–Martin L. Oppus, “Why Trump’s immigration bonds proposal won’t work,” Politico, July 17, 2019 5:08 am