Jeh Johnson: Far fewer unaccompanied minors are crossing the border

The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border has gone down considerably and is at the lowest it has been in almost two years.

During a speech on Thursday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson released new data showing that a total of 2,424 unaccompanied children were apprehended in September. That’s down from 10,622 in June, when the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border reached its peak.

“In late June and July, millions of Americans saw the images of the processing centers filled with kids,” Johnson said. “Far fewer Americans know that by early June the spike in illegal migration by unaccompanied kids turned the corner, and it’s now in fact at its lowest number since January 2013.”

As for the year-end number, Johnson said a total of 68,434 unaccompanied minors trying to cross the border were apprehended for the 2014 fiscal year. The Obama administration originally projected that number to be 60,000.

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The influx of children crossing the border without a parent or guardian began in May. Many of them came from Central American countries, fleeing gang violence and abuse. Some also came to reunite with family members already living in the United States.

Johnson said his agency responded to the influx by doing a number of things, including reassigning hundreds of Border Patrol agent to the Texas southern border where most of the children were crossing and dedicating more resources to the prosecution of the criminal smuggling organizations.

In addition, new processing centers and detention facilities were open across the southwest to house unaccompanied minors while it was decided whether they would be deported or allowed to stay in the U.S. A public messaging campaign was also launched in Central America to warn about the dangers of journey to the U.S.

And on multiple occasions, President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden met with Central American presidents and leaders to coordinate a response to the situation.

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Johnson added that “though the worst is over for now,” the spike in migration seen this summer could return.

“The poverty and violence that are the ‘push factors’ in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador still exist,” he said. “The economy in this country — a ‘pull factor’ —is getting better. Thus, there is still more we can and should do.”

Moving forward, he said DHS will engage in a number of efforts to ramp up border security. That includes using more surveillance technology across the U.S.-Mexico border, a move that Johnson said is “a smart, effective and efficient use of taxpayer resources.”

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