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  4. Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children Statistics FY 2016

Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children Statistics FY 2016

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Office of Refugee Resettlement at HHS has begun a process to expand its temporary capacity to house unaccompanied children. This is a prudent step to ensure that the Border Patrol can continue its vital national security mission to prevent illegal migration, trafficking, and protect the borders of the United States.

As we have highlighted over the last few months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have noted an increase in the number of unaccompanied children (UAC) and family units apprehended along the southwest border. The entire administration has been closely monitoring these current trends and coordinating across the whole of government to ensure an effective response to any changes in migration flows.

DHS and HHS are working together to accommodate these children without disrupting the vital national security mission of the Border Patrol and have begun a process to expand HHS temporary capacity to shelter unaccompanied children. The Office of Refugee Resettlement at HHS increased the capacity of current providers from 7,900 to 8,400 beds in November and is preparing for temporary bed space in the event that additional beds may be needed. ORR is continuously analyzing and monitoring bed capacity of unaccompanied children referred to HHS, as well as the information received from interagency partners, to inform any future decisions or actions.

We continue to aggressively work to secure our borders, address underlying causes and deter future increases in unauthorized migration, while ensuring that those with legitimate humanitarian claims are afforded the opportunity to seek protection. We also continue to look at broader regional efforts to address the flow of children and family units from Central America into the United States.”

Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children (0-17 yr old) Apprehensions

Comparisons below reflect Fiscal Year 2016 (October 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016) compared to the same time period for Fiscal Year 2015.

Sector

Fiscal Year 2015

Fiscal Year 2016

% Change

Big Bend Sector

83

518>500%

Del Rio Sector

414972135%

El Centro Sector

147330124%

El Paso Sector

3501,186239%

Laredo Sector

74399734%

Rio Grande Sector

6,04312,289103%

San Diego Sector

30749361%

Tucson Sector

1,8492,49235%

Yuma Sector

1691,178>500%

Southwest Border Total

10,10520,455102%

Southwest Border Family Unit Apprehensions*

Comparisons below reflect Fiscal Year 2016 (October 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016) compared to the same time period for Fiscal Year 2015.

Sector

Fiscal Year 2015

Fiscal Year 2016

% Change

Big Bend Sector

90

582>500%

Del Rio Sector

3751,310249%

El Centro Sector

168405141%

El Paso Sector

1161,545>500%

Laredo Sector

46063237%

Rio Grande Sector

6,43516,359154%

San Diego Sector

55667822%

Tucson Sector

7151,29882%

Yuma Sector

1751,807>500%
Southwest Border Total9,09024,616171%

U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border and Rio Grande Valley Sector Other Than Mexicans

Numbers below reflect Fiscal Year 2016 (October 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016)

Sector

FY2016

Rio Grande Valley

44,322

Southwest Border

69,250

Unaccompanied Alien Children Encountered by Fiscal Year

Numbers below reflect Fiscal Years 2009-2015, FY 2016 (October 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016)

CountryFY  2009FY 2010FY 2011FY 2012FY 2013FY 2014FY 2015FY 2016
El Salvador1,2211,9101,3943,3145,99016,4049,3895,766
Guatemala1,1151,5171,5653,8358,06817,05713,5897,520
Honduras9681,0179742,9976,74718,2445,4093,152
Mexico16,11413,72411,76813,97417,24015,63411,0123,726

Family Unit Apprehensions Encountered by Fiscal Year*

Numbers below reflect Fiscal Year 2015, FY 2016 (October 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016)

CountryFY 2015FY 2016
El Salvador10,8728,243
Guatemala12,8208,113
Honduras10,6716,280
Mexico4,2761,066

*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.) 

Last Modified: Jul 17, 2019