Trump vows tariffs over immigration. What the numbers say about border crossings, drugs and crime [Video]

WASHINGTON – In a Monday evening announcement, President-elect Donald Trump railed against Mexico and Canada, accusing them of allowing thousands of people to enter the U.S.

Hitting a familiar theme from the campaign trail and his first term in office, Trump portrayed the country’s borders as insecure and immigrants as contributing to crime and the fentanyl crisis. In an announcement that could have stark repercussions, he threatened to impose 25% tariffs on everything coming into the country from those two countries.

Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric has resonated with voters concerned about immigration and crime. Yet there’s more to the story than Trump’s short statement suggested.

A look at what the numbers and studies say about border crossings, fentanyl smuggling and whether there’s a connection between immigration and crime:

Border crossings

The number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border is a key metric watched intensely by both Republicans and Democrats.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an arm of the Department of …