U.S. Border Patrol Alarms Officials After Unaccompanied Minors Population Jump

The United States Border Patrol detained over 11,000 unaccompanied minors attempting to cross the U.S. border illegally just three weeks into March. This number is more than that of the entire month of February, based on a report on Monday.

The preliminary data of the U.S. Border Patrol shows that the detentions of migrant children have jumped from only 5,600 in January to 9,300 in February, and now with only three weeks past March, the number rose into 11,000 unaccompanied minors. The current number of unaccompanied minors detained in March 2021 is predicted to surpass the May 2019 record with 11,400 detentions.

According to National Review, Representative Henry Cuellar (D., Texas), the head of the district that sits on the border in the Rio Grande valley, shared that there is a surge of migrants who are minors, which has caused overpopulation at detention facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The representative also mentioned on Monday that despite the efforts of Border Patrol agents in doing their best under any unexpected circumstance, Cuellar pointed out that those agents are not equipped to care for the kids.

A top official from the Biden administration shared this week that the number of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border this year is on a path to be the highest in 20 years, and it is also due to the rise of unaccompanied minors among immigrants. While Republicans blamed Biden for the lax immigration policies, Democrats were concerned regarding the conditions of the unaccompanied minors in facilities and the duration of their stay in those detention facilities, CNN reported.

Why Unaccompanied Minors Are Coming to the Border

As of Tuesday, around 9,200 unaccompanied minors were already in the custody of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the HHS refugee office, a government shelter system that manages the kids. Based on the HHS, it is the highest number since 2019, Reuters reported.

Moreover, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection or CBP, stated that since October 1, 2020, about two-thirds of unaccompanied children who were caught at the border were natives from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. While the majority of the remaining one-third, composed of Mexican children.

In addition, immigration experts stated that there are multiple reasons why minors want to cross the border and risked their lives, it is either to reunite with family members or escape poverty and violence in their homeland. Also, they have cited the recent catastrophic weather conditions that hit Central America while experiencing a slump in their economies in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, as it prompted more migration.

Aside from concerns regarding the possibility of more COVID-19 infections due to the rise of immigrants on the border, immigration experts also addressed that some unaccompanied minors are potential victims of human trafficking and on a dangerous trip to the border for smugglers.

Also, children are supposed to be transferred out within 72 hours from the custody of CBP to HHS-run shelters. But as the shelter space runs out, children can get stuck in border detention centers.

During the time that they're in the shelters, children can be released to their parents, other sponsors or even be placed in foster care. Also, they can pursue asylum cases while seeking other ways to stay in the US or can be deported. But the deportation process will not take a short period of time.

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