US Department of Homeland Security: "Rapid Increase in Minor Illegal Immigrants, Urgent but Controllable"

561 Minors Illegally Enter Japan... 60% Surge Compared to Previous Month Average

(Source: AP)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, said that although the number of minor illegal immigrants at detention facilities in the U.S. Southwest border region is rapidly increasing, the situation is urgent but fully controllable.

According to statistics from the Department of Homeland Security, 561 minor illegal immigrants were added in one day on the 15th at border detention centers under the Customs and Border Protection agency. Citing officials, the Associated Press reported on the 16th (local time) that this represents about a 60% increase compared to the average daily detainee count in February.

The number of minor illegal immigrants detained in the facilities reached 4,000 as of the 14th, of whom 3,000 have stayed beyond the 72-hour detention period mandated by court order. The number of illegal border crossings has surged to the highest level since March 2019, the report said.

With poverty in Central America worsening due to COVID-19 and natural disasters, and the Biden administration's lenient immigration policies, the influx of illegal immigrant youth at the U.S. border is expected to increase significantly in the future.

Secretary Mayorkas said the number of illegal immigrants arriving from Central America is expected to reach the highest level in 20 years.

For the Biden administration, which has declared a more lenient immigration policy than the Trump administration, humane treatment of minor illegal immigrants crossing the border is a priority.

Secretary Mayorkas acknowledged that the surge in child illegal immigrants due to COVID-19 poses challenges to related agencies such as border patrol, but he rejected policies of deporting them like the Trump administration did.

He emphasized, "They are vulnerable children, and we have ended the previous administration's practice of deporting them."

The Biden administration is promoting immigration reform legislation that reverses the Trump administration's immigration policies. According to this immigration reform bill, recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will be granted permanent residency immediately and can apply for citizenship after three years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.