Thousands of children crossed US-Mexico border in October
Source: Associated Press
Thousands of children crossed US-Mexico border in October
Associated Press
By SETH ROBBINS
11 minutes ago
SAN ANTONIO (AP) Nearly 5,000 unaccompanied immigrant children were caught illegally crossing the U.S. border with Mexico in October, almost double the number from October 2014, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
Also, in the figures released Tuesday, the number of family members crossing together nearly tripled from October 2014 from 2,162 to 6,029.
Illegal immigration has become a major issue among Republicans in the U.S. presidential race. Billionaire Donald Trump has called for mass deportations, which some of his rivals criticize as an impractical plan that would hand Democrats a talking point as they seek to appeal to Hispanic voters.
The numbers spiked despite expectations of lower numbers due to the colder winter months coming, better enforcement along the border and efforts by Mexican authorities to stem the stream of Central American migrants to the U.S. Though tens of thousands of women and children from Central America were caught at the border in summer 2014, it had dropped by nearly half during the 2015 federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
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