U.S. Border Patrol arrests 4,500 migrants in a day, a major increase amid fears of surge

By Ted Hesson, Mimi Dwyer and Mica Rosenberg

 

FILE PHOTO: A vehicle of U.S. Border Patrol is seen near the border fence in Sunland Park, New Mexico, U.S., as pictured from the Mexican side of the border in Ciudad Juarez February 12, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Border Patrol agents caught more than 4,500 migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday, according to government figures shared with Reuters, a big single-day tally that comes amid growing fears that illegal entries could soar in the coming weeks.

 

The figure is comparable to the daily average of arrests in May 2019, the peak of a major border surge that former President Donald Trump used to justify his broad immigration crackdown. In January 2021, Border Patrol caught about 2,400 migrants a day at the southwest border.

 

The rising arrests underscore a growing challenge for President Joe Biden as his administration seeks to shift to a more humane immigration system, while also trying to avoid a surge that would overwhelm it.

 

Immigrant advocacy groups and some Democrats say unaccompanied children and families are not being released from custody fast enough. At the same time, opposition Republicans and immigration hawks say the willingness to let in more migrants while their asylum applications are being heard has encouraged more migration from Central America.

 

"We are weeks, maybe even days, away from a crisis on the southern border," Representative Henry Cuellar, a Democrat whose Texas district abuts Mexico, said in a statement on Thursday. "Our country is currently unprepared to handle a surge in migrants in the middle of the pandemic."

 

The administration is now taking steps that would speed up the processing of families caught at the border and greatly reduce the use of family detention centers.

 

It plans to convert two family detention centers in Texas into facilities that would quickly process incoming migrant families and allow them to be released pending the outcome of their cases, according to three people familiar with the plan.

 

The number of people held in those facilities has dropped significantly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

A third family detention center in Pennsylvania was empty as of last week as the remaining families in custody there were released, according to attorneys representing them.

 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials held a call in late February with immigration advocacy groups and local officials in Texas to outline the plan to repurpose the family detention facilities, said Dan Klein, board chair of the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, who was on the call.

 

"They're trying to make it less about detention and more about helping people on their way," Klein said.

 

U.S. officials are also hurrying to find housing and speed up releases of an increasing number of unaccompanied children arriving at the border after Biden exempted them in February from a Trump-era policy known as Title 42. That policy, issued on COVID-19-related public health grounds, allows U.S. authorities to rapidly expel migrants caught at the border.

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that as of March 4 the agency had 7,700 unaccompanied minors in custody, the highest level since 2019. As of last week, it had roughly 7,700 beds available.

 

HHS, which manages the federal shelter system for unaccompanied kids, reduced its available bed space by 40% to prevent the spread of COVID-19, making the situation more challenging.

 

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington, Mimi Dwyer in Los Angeles and Mica Rosenberg in New York; Editing by Ross Colvin and Rosalba O'Brien)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-04

 

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But, the wall, the big, beautiful wall, the wall that Mexico will pay for, what happened??? 

Troll post removed.

 

Troll post and reply removed.  

 

Not surprised in the least everyone wants to better themselves instead of paying 700$ A head per day to House thease folks hire investigators and immigration judges provided asylum to the genuine asylum seekers (as is the letter of the law as well as the moral thing to do) record and deport those that don’t meet the criteria simple and we don’t look like heartless a ho+-# 

Hey, I've got a couple of vacancies in my apt buildings in CA if the government wants to send them there and pay my rent levels, the more the merrier.

Here they come, Joe.

The Biden administration favors catch and release a.k.a. open borders.  So of course thousands now rush for the border.  And we still see adult “children” coming.  Once they get in, chain migration happens.  Does America need more illegals when millions have been thrown out of work, and homeless people floor our cities?  Shouldn’t Americans come first?

30 minutes ago, Sujo said:

I see they are wearing masks. Could teach the repub neanderthals a thing or two.

 

Every blue mask you see in that photo was handed out by the reporters for the photo op.

10 hours ago, PatOngo said:

But, the wall, the big, beautiful wall, the wall that Mexico will pay for, what happened??? 

Biden Happened!!! 

Well, I don't know about the politics of this issue one side says one thing the other says something else. What I thought would be more important is the Covid situation in the US. Places in lock down, schools closed etc. yet have an open border with Mexico which according to the OP, could create a crisis point in a few days. The Thai border with Myanmar has seen refugees going into camps but the situation is different.

2 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

The Biden administration favors catch and release a.k.a. open borders.  So of course thousands now rush for the border.  And we still see adult “children” coming.  Once they get in, chain migration happens.  Does America need more illegals when millions have been thrown out of work, and homeless people floor our cities?  Shouldn’t Americans come first?

There is no open border there never was it is just another trump lie to get the rubes all puffed up 

2 hours ago, timendres said:

 

Every blue mask you see in that photo was handed out by the reporters for the photo op.

and they wore them. Unlike clan trump who refused them.

41 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

Well, I don't know about the politics of this issue one side says one thing the other says something else. What I thought would be more important is the Covid situation in the US. Places in lock down, schools closed etc. yet have an open border with Mexico which according to the OP, could create a crisis point in a few days. The Thai border with Myanmar has seen refugees going into camps but the situation is different.

there is no open border.

6 hours ago, CMHomeboy78 said:

Here they come, Joe.

Love those shirts.

   All Dems it looks like.

   What a coincidence!

 

 

29 minutes ago, Sujo said:

there is no open border.

I did say '...politics...' Physically, any border without a physical block is an open border with an 'imaginary' territorial line. It has nothing to do with the administration political views. Legal entry to any country is facilitated by a Border Security Zone. Parts of a border having no inanimate restriction is open to illegal entry/activity and anyone caught crossing the territorial line could face deportation. The present US admin, as I understand it, is not considering deportation and as the OP states, this is going to cause a crisis point soon, not a wise move in the present Covid 19 situation. Recently in Thailand it was reported that illegal immigrants caused a Covid 19 'spike' and so could happen in the US. Indeed, this quote

'...U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said Wednesday. And he says that is putting the South Texas border community, as well as the volunteers who help them, and the border agents, at risk....' The from https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/immigration/dozens-of-newly-released-migrants-test-positive-for-virus-hundreds-of-border-agents-are-south-texas-bound/

...Where apparently over a 100 released migrants tested positive.

Disaster. Sad to see. I fear it's only going to get worse.

Funny how people blame poor immigrants for taking jobs when it's actually the government responsible for both the middle class not having jobs and/or low paying alongside the immigrants coming from their countries.

 

#getaclue

1 hour ago, Sujo said:

there is no open border.

Perhaps not in theory

1 minute ago, kingdong said:

Perhaps not in theory

Not in reality either. But in alternative facts reality maybe.

28 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Disaster. Sad to see. I fear it's only going to get worse.

Well the caravans did come under the former guy.

3 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Well the caravans did come under the former guy.

So did the attempt to build a fence.

9 hours ago, Solinvictus said:

Funny how people blame poor immigrants for taking jobs when it's actually the government responsible for both the middle class not having jobs and/or low paying alongside the immigrants coming from their countries.

 

#getaclue

Nice attempt at deflection.  Fact remains, surge is coming to the border. Illegals believe catch and release policy of Biden administration will get them in.  We don’t need illegals—-especially now.

39 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Nice attempt at deflection.  Fact remains, surge is coming to the border. Illegals believe catch and release policy of Biden administration will get them in.  We don’t need illegals—-especially now.

Well, it should be OK to release them in Texas.   There are no Covid restrictions in the state so they are good to go.   

 

Migration hard-line should be what happens, lost the plot America. 

10 hours ago, kingdong said:

So did the attempt to build a fence.

What happened, couldnt get mexico to pay for it?

4 minutes ago, Sujo said:

What happened, couldnt get mexico to pay for it?

Don,t know,none of my buisness,the us will pay for it not being built though.

The new administration does not care what any of us think or say contrary to their border, immigration, or amnesty policies. We who are opposed can throw fits, it doesn't matter. Once they consolidate the vote, and after all these years of letting it happen they are very close, it is all over, hegemony will be theirs, and we can go pound sand for the rest of our lives.

4 hours ago, kingdong said:

Don,t know,none of my buisness,the us will pay for it not being built though.

Then blame trump. He promised it and didnt do it. Now biden has to deal with another broken promise by trump.

20 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

The Biden administration favors catch and release a.k.a. open borders.  So of course thousands now rush for the border.  And we still see adult “children” coming.  Once they get in, chain migration happens.  Does America need more illegals when millions have been thrown out of work, and homeless people floor our cities?  Shouldn’t Americans come first?

You mean the indigenous natives, right?