Editorials & Other Articles

undeterred

(34,658 posts) Tue Jun 10, 2014, 11:54 AM Jun 2014

Why the surge in migrant children at border? 5 answers

A surge in unaccompanied minors from Central America crossing the border illegally into Texas has so overwhelmed the Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley that officials have transported more than 750 children since last week to Border Patrol facilities in Arizona — with plans to bring hundreds more, if necessary. Calling the situation "a humanitarian crisis," President Barack Obama has sent federal officials scrambling to ramp up temporary housing in three other states for about 3,000 more migrant children.

Here are the key questions and answers about what is happening and why:

1. How many unaccompanied children are crossing?

According to Customs and Border Protection, in the past eight months, agents have apprehended about 47,000 unaccompanied minors who crossed the border into the U.S. illegally from Mexico. The CBP estimates that apprehensions of minors this year may reach 90,000.

Almost three-fourths of the children apprehended are from Honduras, Guatemala or El Salvador. And 33,470 of them entered through the Rio Grande Valley Sector, which this year surpassed the Tucson Sector as the busiest for illegal crossings. Overall, Border Patrol apprehensions of undocumented migrants are still running at less than half of the rate of 2000-06, when they typically exceeded 1million a year.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/immigration/2014/06/09/immigrant-children-arizona-border-answers/10246771/

6 replies

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Why the surge in migrant children at border? 5 answers (Original Post) undeterred Jun 2014 OP

Good info underpants Jun 2014 #1

Thanks for the info. I had read several stories about this, but none of them had outlined Arkansas Granny Jun 2014 #2

Another reason for the influx: JimDandy Jun 2014 #3

That occurred to me also. undeterred Jun 2014 #4

There is NO way I'd let my children JimDandy Jun 2014 #5

Not correct. alp227 Jun 2014 #6

underpants

(182,589 posts)

1. Good info

Reply to undeterred (Original post)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 11:59 AM

Jun 2014

Thanks. I've heard the talk radio nonsense about Obama orchestrating this which I knew was BS. Now I know the full story.

Arkansas Granny

(31,506 posts)

2. Thanks for the info. I had read several stories about this, but none of them had outlined

Reply to undeterred (Original post)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 12:03 PM

Jun 2014

any reasons for the influx of children. I wonder how many of these kids will die in the process of trying to reach the US. What a horrible situation they must have been in to attempt something so dangerous.

JimDandy

(7,318 posts)

3. Another reason for the influx:

Reply to undeterred (Original post)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 01:51 PM

Jun 2014

Obama's 2012 reprieve to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before they were 16.

An apartment maintenance man I knew had implied this was the reason his wife's brother's newly arrived teenage son had traveled here by himself. The maintenance man had recently moved to CO from NC, because NC had been making it very difficult for illegal immigrants to live there. While he had a green card, his wife, who is from Central America, and her family were all undocumented (he is Mexican and met her in the U.S.) The nephew arrived in CO in March (the family had to first raise the money to get him here and then waited for the right seasonal window for his trip here). The only way his nephew will qualify for that program, though, will be if they create a paper trail to make it appear that he has lived in the U.S. for 5 years, as that is one of the requirements. I didn't bring that up in our conversation, though.

undeterred

(34,658 posts)

4. That occurred to me also.

Reply to JimDandy (Reply #3)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 04:41 PM

Jun 2014

But its hard to imagine a situation so bad that parents would allow their unchaperoned children/teens to take off for another country.

JimDandy

(7,318 posts)

5. There is NO way I'd let my children

Reply to undeterred (Reply #4)

Tue Jun 10, 2014, 05:44 PM

Jun 2014

travel unaccompanied using such a dangerous mode of travel. I think that rises to the level of negligence and child abuse. I know some people are saying that the lives of those children are in danger in a couple of those countries, but this amounts to putting them out of the pan and into the fire.

Sending my children on planes unaccompanied to visit their father was unnerving enough me.

ETA: just heard on an NPR segment that 75% of the detained children are teenage boys. That fits either scenario (that they were in danger of being forced into gangs in their home country, or they are coming to get here in time to meet Obama's requirement that they attended and graduated from a U.S. high school in order to be considered for his program).

alp227

(32,004 posts)

6. Not correct.

Reply to JimDandy (Reply #3)

Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:01 AM

Jun 2014

http://www.dhs.gov/deferred-action-childhood-arrivals

You may request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals if you:

Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;
Came to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday;
Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;
Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;
Entered without inspection before June 15, 2012, or your lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012;
Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and
Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

Individuals can call USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 with questions or to request more information on the deferred action for childhood arrivals process or visit www.uscis.gov.

One must meet ALL these conditions. Sorry, no future immigrants are eligible. I wonder if those "coyotes" spreading misinformation throughout Latin America about DACA are listening to American right wing talk radio hosts that complain "OBAMA AMNESTY FUTURE WAVES OF ILLEGAL BROWN PEOPLE DERRRRRRR"?

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