Audio Clip
US Officials: Women, Children Crossing Southwest Border Illegally Drops
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says the number of women and children illegally crossing the Southwest border into the United States dropped sharply last month. There was a 65 percent drop from December to January.
The drop comes after raids just weeks ago where migrants — mostly women and children — were arrested and slated for deportation. Those taken in were mostly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. It’s possible that news of the well-publicized raids is acting as a deterrent.
At the same time, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar are pressing the federal government to maintain its current level of aerial surveillance along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The U.S. is working with the United Nations on plans to allow migrants in Central America to apply to come to the U.S. without risking a dangerous journey. There’s no timeline yet for such a plan.