​Immigration has long been concentrated along the California and Arizona borders. Now that has shifted to the Texas border. Why is Texas the new crossing point? We speak to Jessica Bolter, Associate Policy Analyst with the U.S. Immigration policy program at the Migration Policy Institute about what is causing this shift. The answer at once both simple and complex, and the solution could take a long time. SCRIPT-SCRIPT-SCRIPT-SCRIPT-SCRIPT-SCRIPT-SCRIPT LEAVING THE HALLS OF CONGRESS... AND HEADING OUT FOR A RIDE ALONG ON THE RIO GRANDE... REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS BOTH CALLING ATTENTION TO THE CRISIS AT THE TEXAS/MEXICO BORDER... BUTTED SOT SOT Senator John Cornyn (R - TX) this is not a partisan issue. This is about solving problems butted to SOT Rep VERONICA ESCOBAR (D - El Paso) This is not a new situation. It evolves and changes with every given year. ONE CHANGE IN THE LAST DECADE... *WHERE* MANY BORDER CROSSERS ARE LOOKING TO ENTER INTO THE UNITED STATES... SOT Jessica Bolter, Migration Policy Institute there has been a shift away from Arizona and toward south texas. A ROBUST BUILD-UP OF SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE ALONG THE ARIZONA BORDER... SHIFTING MIGRATORY ROUTES EAST TO MORE RURAL AND UNSECURED TEXAS... SOT Jessica Bolter so migration is kind of like that when you tighten enforcement at one area of the border, another area of the border inflates. IN THE RIO GRANDE TEXAS SECTOR... ENCOUNTERS INCREASING FROM 46 THOUSAND IN 2020 ... TO 160 THOUSAND SO FAR THIS YEAR... CURRENTLY THE MOST OF ANY BORDER SECTOR... THE INCREASE IN TEXAS ... SPURRED ALSO IN PART BY DEMOGRAPHICS... BEFORE 2012... IT WAS PRIMARILY SINGLE ADULT MEXICAN WORKERS CROSSING... NOW... A SURGE FROM CENTRAL AMERICA... INCLUDING MANY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN SEEKING ASYLUM... THE ROUTE TO TEXAS... SHORTER TO TRAVEL... SOT Jessica Bolter This year we've seen that smugglers have actually been really innovative in trying to advertise short safe, easy routes to families specifically. GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT SAYS HIS STATE'S BORDER SECURITY WILL COST A BILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR ... BUT POLICY ANALYSTS SAY TEXAS' TOUGH TERRAIN IS DIFFICULT TO SECURE... AND THAT FIXING THE ROOT CAUSES OF CENTRAL AMERICAN MIGRATION COULD TAKE UP TO 20 YEARS... MEANING A LONG HAUL FOR THE LONE STAR STATE...