Over the last decade, the number of migrants entering America’s southern border has increased dramatically, from about 500 thousand per year pre-pandemic to nearly 4 million on an annualized basis in 2024. What factors are behind this massive increase?

As of September 2024, the National Debt of the United States surpassed $35.3 trillion. For many Americans, the national debt is an abstract concept that has no impact on their daily lives. How much of a problem is the national debt? Some economists have argued that a high national debt would disrupt the American economy, producing high inflation, high unemployment, high interest rates, sharply negative economic growth, and a collapsing stock market. However, the debt has been increasing for over a generation without an economic collapse. While the absence of disaster might suggest that the national debt doesn’t matter, research by Everything Policy identifies a looming short-term problem: the rise in interest payments on the debt is about to trigger major spending reductions across a wide range of federal programs.

Are recent policy changes designed to reduce asylum claims and unauthorized entries at America’s southern border? Border crossings were at unprecedentedly high levels in 2022, 2023, and early 2024. In recent months, the U.S. government implemented new policies to reduce asylum claims and illegal entries. Are these new policies working?