A program launched by the Biden administration in May to prevent migrant families from entering the country illegally has resulted in less than 100 deportations, according to government statistics acquired by CBS News.
This is a small number compared to the tens of thousands of families processed by border officers during that time.
The figures, which have not previously been released, undermine the Biden administration’s escalating efforts to highlight family deportations through video releases and press statements and draw attention to the persistent legal, humanitarian, and operational difficulties the U.S. government encounters when processing migrant parents and children.
Aiming to inflict “immigration consequences” on parents who illegally crossed the border with their children into the United States from Mexico, the Family Expedited Removal Management program was unveiled on May 11.
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Ankle Monitors and Curfews
While authorities perform a preliminary evaluation of the family’s asylum claim, it mandates that the heads of household of some families wear an ankle monitor and abide by a nighttime home curfew.
Families that successfully complete “credible fear” interviews conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are permitted to remain in the country pending a determination of the merits of their asylum application by an immigration court.
Unless they are successful in appealing, those who do not pass these interviews are scheduled to be deported within weeks of their arrival. Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows that more than 2,600 migrants, including 1,500 heads of family, have signed up for the curfew program since May.
As of last week, some 80 immigrant parents and kids have been deported as a result of the campaign, a U.S. source told CBS News on condition of anonymity to discuss internal data.
Federal statistics show that between May and the end of July, 136,452 families crossing the southern border were dealt with by border officers in the United States. More than 60,000 migrant families, including parents and kids, were taken into custody by Border Patrol in July alone, a 92% increase over June.
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Source: CBS News
