Despite increased security along the U.S.-Mexico border, agents who patrol the area say the number of Central Americans crossing the Rio Grande is up.
Official numbers won’t be released until later this week, but The Washington Post reports from south Texas:
“Agents working in the Rio Grande Valley, the nation’s busiest corridor for illegal crossings, say they’ve seen more families turn themselves in and ask for asylum in recent weeks, a potential indication that the policy reversal has encouraged more Central Americans to head north.”
The Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy along the border was shelved after the separation of more than 2500 families was met with condemnation.
The number of Central American families arrested for entering the United States illegally surged again in August — "They keep coming and coming," a border agent tells @NickMiroff https://t.co/3gy6bWCbT0
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) September 11, 2018
Donald Trump has threatened to shut down the government over lack of funding for his border wall.
“They keep coming and coming,” said one agent. “There were some really large groups. Any time you have to use buses to come and pick them up, that’s not a good sign.”
Any time you have to use buses to come and pick them up, that’s not a good sign.”
Meanwhile, more than 400 children remain separated from their parents after the zero tolerance crackdown, despite a court ordered deadline.
We are now at 46 days past the court ordered deadline to reunite all children separated from their families under Trump’s zero tolerance policy.
416 children are still separated from their families because of that Trump policy. https://t.co/Qxe5ha0yWE
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 11, 2018