Family arrivals surge at U.s.-mexico border
SAN DIEGO — The Border Patrol arrested dramatically more immigrant families at the U.s.-mexico border in August compared to previous months in a spike that a Trump administration official said Wednesday was the result of legal loopholes allowing parents and children to avoid immediate deportation to their homelands in Central America.
The number of families arriving at the Mexico border reached 15,955, said Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin Mcaleenan. Families accounted for about one-third of people who were stopped at the border.
He called the increase "a direct response to gaps in the legal framework," adding, "we're not surprised by it, but it's been a very stark trend."
The numbers offer a glimpse into the impact of the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on illegal crossings introduced in April, which resulted in the separation of more than 2,500 children from their parents. President Donald Trump effectively ended the practice of separating families in June amid heavy criticism.
The statistics also come as the midterm elections are approaching and immigration remains a key issue in campaigns across the country. Mcaleenan, a Trump appointee, called the situation "a crisis of significant proportions from a humanitarian perspective and a security perspective."
Overall, people arrested or stopped at the border totaled 46,560, up from 39,953 in July and 30,567 in August 2017. Arrests have risen from July to August in four of x the previous five years, indicating seasonal factors may be an influence.
The number of people arriving as part of families increased 30 percent from July to August.
The arrest tally is the latest reminder of how border crossings have shifted from predominantly Mexican men to Central American families and children.
Last week, the Trump administration moved to abandon a longstanding court settlement that limits how long immigrant children can be kept locked up, proposing new regulations that would allow the government to detain families until their immigration cases are decided.
Administration officials said that ending the socalled Flores agreement of 1997 will speed up the handling of asylum requests while also deterring people from illegally crossing the border.