The rate of unaccompanied undocumented immigrant minors entering the U.S. has fallen by more than 50 percent.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, disclosed the apprehension rate of unaccompanied undocumented immigrant children at the southern border dropped by 51 percent during the 2015 fiscal year, so far, compared to the same time frame of the 2014 fiscal year.

Between Oct. 1, 2014, and June 1, 2015, CBP agents apprehended 22,869 unaccompanied minors, categorized as children ages 17 and younger. In comparison to the same time period during the 2014 fiscal year, CBP apprehended 46,858 unaccompanied minors.

In the 2015 fiscal year, most of the apprehensions occurred in the Rio Grande Sector, which accounted for 13,249 percent of the apprehensions. The Rio Grande Sector, however, has encountered its own decline in undocumented immigrant apprehensions. A 60-percent drop of apprehending immigrant children occurred between the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years. The same time period for the 2014 fiscal year saw 33,416 immigrant apprehensions.

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Few of the CBP's sectors encountered apprehension growths. The Big Bend Sector has encountered a 134-percent increase, from 148 apprehensions to 346 apprehensions during the 2015 fiscal year. The Yuma Sector saw an 85-percent increase, from 2014's 263 apprehensions to 487 apprehensions.

The CBP identified the native countries of most of the unaccompanied immigrant children, and it ranges from Mexico and Central America.

Most of the apprehended unaccompanied immigrant children came from Guatemala. At 8,048 encounters, more Guatemalan minors were apprehended, which nearly matched the Guatemalan total during the entire 2013 fiscal year when 8,068 children were encountered.

Unaccompanied immigrant children from Mexico, during the 2015 fiscal year until June 1, hit 7,487 encounters. Mexico was largely responsible for most of the unaccompanied immigrant minors based on data dating back to the 2009 fiscal year with tens of thousands entering the U.S. In the 2014 fiscal year, however, the rate of native Mexican minors' entering the U.S. dropped to fourth place behind Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. For the entire 2014 fiscal year, 15,634 unaccompanied immigrant children were encountered by CBP.

El Salvador was responsible for the third-most unaccompanied immigrant minors, according to the CBP, with 4,458 encounters. Honduras accounted for 2,533 encounters.

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