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A record number of unaccompanied migrant children are placed in border patrol custody and shelter beds are scarce, raising fears of a new humanitarian crisis on the southern border.
More than 3,200 unaccompanied migrant children are being accommodated in customs and border protection detention facilities, two sources confirmed. The New York Times, citing internal CBP documents, first reported that the number of children detained had “tripled in the past two weeks.”
Almost half of the children – 1,400 – have been detained beyond the legal three-day limit. CBP retention cells, sometimes called “hieleras” or coolers, are not designed for children. They are usually small concrete rooms with concrete or metal benches and no beds.
In addition, nearly 170 of the unaccompanied children detained are under the age of 13, according to a source.
Government data reviewed by NBC News shows the total number of unaccompanied migrant children who crossed the border in February rose to around 9,000.
Many children arriving at the border initially immigrated under the Trump administration but were quickly deported on orders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect immigrants and U.S. residents from Covid-19. The Biden administration has reversed the policy on unaccompanied children.
As the Biden administration grapples with the upsurge in level crossings, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last week led a team of senior administration officials to visit migrant detention facilities on along the border. The White House has said officials intend to brief President Joe Biden of their findings.
Julissa Reynoso, chief of staff to the first lady, was part of the delegation.
“We spoke to many people involved, including children,” Reynoso said Monday. “We’re trying to deal with this in an orderly fashion, but very conscious of the human cost here and given that we’re talking about children. So it’s something that we manage.
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