Border Patrol agents stationed in the Yuma Sector are reporting an uptick in unaccompanied minors apprehended along the border. The increase follows a series of executive orders signed by President Biden that reversed many policies of the Trump administration that helped cut down on the number of illegal border crossings and incidences of human trafficking.
So far this year, Yuma Sector Border Patrol Agents apprehended more than double the number of tender age children, that is children under the age of 13 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian, compared to the previous year. There have been 28 apprehensions of unaccompanied minors under the age of 13, compared to 13 during the same time period last year.
"The smuggling of children is extremely dangerous, and that danger exasperates when the child is sent on the journey alone," said Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Chris T. Clem. "It further shows the continued disregard for human life by smuggling organizations by circumventing our laws and profiting on the vulnerabilities of these populations."
The tender age children apprehended by Yuma Sector agents originated from countries that include Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.
It was reported earlier this month that the Biden administration was moving to reopen overflow capacity to accommodate for a large increase in the number of illegal border crossings and apprehensions of unaccompanied minors. Biden's lenient immigration policies, compared to those of the previous administration, are already producing negative consequences at the border.
