Report Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children

Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children

04/07/2015 12:37 PM EDT

Beginning last year and specifically in the last few months, CBP has seen an overall increase in the apprehension of Unaccompanied Alien Children from Central America at the Southwest Border, specifically in the Rio Grande Valley. While overall border apprehensions have only slightly increased during this time period, and remain at historic lows, the apprehension and processing of these children present unique operational challenges for CBP and HHS. Addressing the rising flow of unaccompanied alien children crossing our southwest border is an important priority of this Administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Secretary Johnson has already taken a number of steps to address this situation.
Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children (0-17 yr old) Apprehensions
Comparisons below reflect Fiscal Year 2015 to date (October 1, 2014 - March 31, 2015) compared to the same time period for Fiscal Year 2014.

Sector	Fiscal Year 2014	Fiscal Year 2015	% Change
Big Bend Sector	105	194	85%
Del Rio Sector	1,414	710	-50%
El Centro Sector	278	270	-3%
El Paso Sector	469	536	14%
Laredo Sector	1,792	1,156	-35%
Rio Grande Sector	19,258	9,093	-53%
San Diego Sector	425	509	20%
Tucson Sector	4,660	2,881	-38%
Yuma Sector	178	298	67%
Southwest Border Total	28,579	15,647	-45%

Southwest Border Family Unit Apprehensions*
Comparisons below reflect Fiscal Year 2015 to date (October 1, 2014 - March 31, 2015) compared to the same time period for Fiscal Year 2014.

Sector	Fiscal Year 2014	Fiscal Year 2015	% Change
Big Bend Sector	39	136	249%
Del Rio Sector	1,518	627	-59%
El Centro Sector	220	252	15%
El Paso Sector	201	201	0%
Laredo Sector	1,379	626	-55%
Rio Grande Sector	13,750	9,673	-30%
San Diego Sector	872	855	-2%
Tucson Sector	1,628	1,199	-26%
Yuma Sector	223	342	53%
Southwest Border Total	19,830	13,911	-30%

U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border and Rio Grande Valley Sector Other Than Mexicans
Comparisons below reflect Fiscal Year 2015 to date (October 1, 2014 - March 31, 2015)

Sector	FY2015
Rio Grande Valley	41,357
Southwest Border	58,213

Unaccompanied Alien Children Encountered by Fiscal Year
Fiscal Years 2009-2014; Fiscal Year 2015 to date (October 1, 2014 - March 31, 2015)

Country	FY  2009	FY 2010	FY 2011	FY 2012	FY 2013	FY 2014	FY 2015
El Salvador	1,221	1,910	1,394	3,314	5,990	16,404	2,788
Guatemala	1,115	1,517	1,565	3,835	8,068	17,057	5,465
Honduras	968	1,017	974	2,997	6,747	18,244	1,549
Mexico	16,114	13,724	11,768	13,974	17,240	15,634	5,572

Family Unit Apprehensions Encountered by Fiscal Year*
Fiscal Year 2015 to date (October 1, 2014 - March 31, 2015)

Country	FY 2015
El Salvador	3,313
Guatemala	4,537
Honduras	3,418
Mexico	2,193

*Note: (Family Unit represents the number of individuals (either a child under 18 years old, parent or legal guardian) apprehended with a family member by the U.S. Border Patrol.)
Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children (FY 2014)
11/14/2014 03:10 PM EST
Beginning last year and specifically in the last few months, CBP has seen an overall increase in the apprehension of Unaccompanied Alien Children from Central America at the Southwest Border, specifically in the Rio Grande Valley. While overall border apprehensions have only slightly increased during this time period, and remain at historic lows, the apprehension and processing of these children present unique operational challenges for CBP and HHS. Addressing the rising flow of unaccompanied alien children crossing our southwest border is an important priority of this Administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Secretary Johnson has already taken a number of steps to address this situation.
Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children (0-17 yr old) Apprehensions
Comparisons below reflect Fiscal Year 2014 to date (October 1, 2013 - September 30, 2014) compared to the same time period for Fiscal Year 2013.

Sector	Fiscal Year 2013	Fiscal Year 2014	% Change
Big Bend Sector	125	256	105%
Del Rio Sector	2,135	3,268	53%
El Centro Sector	434	662	53%
El Paso Sector	744	1,029	38%
Laredo Sector	3,795	3,800	0%
Rio Grande Sector	21,553	49,959	132%
San Diego Sector	656	954	45%
Tucson Sector	9,070	8,262	-9%
Yuma Sector	247	351	42%
Southwest Border Total	38,759	68,541	77%

Southwest Border Family Unit Apprehensions
Comparisons below reflect Fiscal Year 2014 to date (October 1, 2013 - September 30, 2014) compared to the same time period for Fiscal Year 2013.

Sector	Fiscal Year 2013	Fiscal Year 2014	% Change
Big Bend Sector	102	176	73%
Del Rio Sector	711	4,950	>500%
El Centro Sector	365	630	73%
El Paso Sector	298	562	89%
Laredo Sector	1,688	3,591	113%
Rio Grande Sector	7,265	52,326	>500%
San Diego Sector	1,576	1,723	9%
Tucson Sector	2,630	3,812	45%
Yuma Sector	220	675	207%
Southwest Border Total	14,855	68,445	361%

U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border and Rio Grande Valley Sector Other Than Mexicans
Fiscal Year 2014 through September 30

Sector	Other Than Mexicans
Rio Grande Valley	192,925
Southwest Border	252,600

Unaccompanied Alien Children Encountered by Fiscal Year
Fiscal Years 2009-2013; Fiscal Year 2014 through September 30

Country	Fiscal Year  2009	Fiscal Year 2010	Fiscal Year 2011	Fiscal Year 2012	Fiscal Year 2013	Fiscal Year 2014
El Salvador	1,221	1,910	1,394	3,314	5,990	16,404
Guatemala	1,115	1,517	1,565	3,835	8,068	17,057
Honduras	968	1,017	974	2,997	6,747	18,244
Mexico	16,114	13,724	11,768	13,974	17,240	15,634

CBP Partners with Non-Profit Organizations to Accept Children’s Books and Blankets for Unaccompanied Minors
08/01/2014 03:29 PM EDTU.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today a partnership with non-profit organizations and its plan to accept donations in support of the humanitarian situation in the Rio Grande Valley.  Non-profit organizations can support the children and families in CBP facilities by donating books and blankets.  For more information on how to donate, and specific item descriptions, please contact the CBP NGO Liaison at NGOLiaison@cbp.dhs.gov.

CBP Addresses Humanitarian Challenges of Unaccompanied Child Migrants07/21/2014 11:09 AM ED
Border Patrol agents from Eagle Pass, Texas rescue a woman and her daughter from the Rio Grande River. The El Salvador citizens were struggling to stay afloat when spotted by agents, who deployed flotation devices and pulled them from the water.

 (Photo by Border Patrol Agent Carl Nagy)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is dealing with multifaceted humanitarian and security issues as tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children have been arriving at the Southwest U.S. border.The most immediate problem: Caring for the children. As of mid-June of this fiscal year, CBP had apprehended more than 52,000 children at the border.

 Approximately three-quarters of them originated from El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras after traveling for weeks through Mexico.“They’re arriving exhausted and scared, in need of food and water,” said CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. “Our agency and the Department of Homeland Security have mobilized to address this situation in a way consistent with our laws and our American values.”DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services are coordinating with the Department of Defense to house and process the children.

The federal partners are locating additional facilities as needed.DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson on July 1 announced the immediate deployment of approximately 150 additional Border Patrol agents to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, where the largest numbers of unaccompanied minors are arriving. The added personnel will help process the influx of children and uphold CBP’s work securing the border.

“I have seen CBP employees respond to these difficulties with professionalism and compassion,” said Commissioner Kerlikowske. “They’ve made heroic efforts with these children; rescuing them and caring for them in the most humane and compassionate way. I am extremely proud of their dedication and of how they have risen to this challenge.”