Poll finds most Americans don't realize how bad the border crisis is. Here are the eye-popping numbers

A recent national survey finds that most Americans don't understand just how severe an illegal immigration situation this country is currently facing at the southern border.

The latest monthly Harvard/Harris poll, which was conducted between April 30 and May 1 among 1,536 registered voters, found that a mere 13 percent of respondents were able to accurately give the annual number of illegal immigrant apprehensions at the border (between 250,000 and 500,000) when asked "About how many people do you think are caught trying to enter through the southern border each year?" At the same time, a whopping 76 percent of respondents gave answers that were well under current levels.

The poll numbers were released by the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and The Harris Poll.

Now, it should be noted that the 13 percent who got it right are only correct about previous levels of border apprehensions. Between fiscal years 2010 and 2018, the number of total apprehensions fluctuated between 300,000 and 500,000.

However, we're currently dealing with record numbers at the border. If the current monthly rates hold, then the 12 percent of respondents who said that apprehensions are over 500,000 per year would be correct. In fact, according to federal government estimates based on the surging monthly totals so far, this fiscal year could see around one million apprehensions.

Here's the rundown for all Americans to equip themselves with the information needed to grasp the state America finds itself in now:

• 109,144 individuals were apprehended at the border in April alone.
• 103,492 illegal and inadmissible aliens were apprehended by during the month of March alone.
• 76,325 apprehensions occurred in February.
• Border arrests have reached their highest point in 12 years.
• February numbers showed a 1,744% increase in asylum claims.
• Family unit apprehensions by Border Patrol jumped 311% during the first five months of this fiscal year over the first five months of last fiscal year.
• 4,117 migrants were apprehended on a single day in March.
• Just 6% of the people crossing the border are expressing a credible fear and requesting asylum in one sector, according to an immigration official.
• A recent survey found that one-third of Guatemala's population wants to come to the U.S.
• Over 1% of the entire populations of Guatemala and Honduras have entered the United States this fiscal year, according to DHS.
• There are at least 1.9 million known criminal aliens sitting in U.S. jails.
• Human smugglers are running radio ads in Central America, according to a Border Patrol official.
• ICE is having to reallocate resources to deal with "fake families" trying to manipulate border policies.
• Now Border Patrol reports that children are also being rented and "recycled" to defraud immigration officials.
• Catch-and-release policies also sent an estimated 7,000 illegal immigrants into Tuscon, Ariz., over an eight-month period alone.
• Border Patrol agents in Texas over just the last week apprehended 5,500 migrants per day.

If you weren't aware of the severity of the immigration crisis, that ought to give you a pretty good snapshot. And that's just a sampling of stories from the last few weeks.

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