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Central American Families Arriving At Southern Border In Record Numbers

A young mother from a Central American country waits at a Yuma church after surrendering to a Border Patrol agent in April 2016.
Michel Marizco
A young mother from a Central American country waits at a Yuma church after surrendering to a Border Patrol agent in April 2016.

Newly released data shows the number of families from Central America arriving at the southern border this year nearly reached the unexpected levels that threatened the U.S.’s immigration resources in 2014.

The data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows Central Americans outnumbered Mexican migrants caught at the southern border for the second time since 2014.

Unaccompanied minors from Central American countries topped 59,000 this fiscal year, compared to 68,000 in 2014. That’s nearly double the number caught at the border last year.

Finally, the data shows U.S. border agencies encountered more families than in previous years.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson issued a prepared statement with the statistics saying long-term investment in Central American countries is necessary to stem the flow of immigrants heading to the U.S.

Fronteras Desk senior editor Michel Marizco is an award-winning investigative reporter based in Flagstaff.