U.S. border facilities have a record number of migrants in custody as border agents try to release migrants as fast as possible to avoid overcrowding and local nonprofit groups scramble to keep up with the need, according to three Department of Homeland Security officials.
Many migrants in Arizona’s Tucson sector, one of the busiest, are being released directly onto the streets, according to two DHS officials.
The officials said the migrants are dropped off in coordination with the city officials and local nonprofits who help them get transportation to their final destinations.
On Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered more than 12,000 undocumented migrants crossing the border for the third straight day, a new record. And approximately 27,000 migrants were in CBP custody as of Wednesday night, another record, with more arriving and more being released into the United States by the hour.
In the region surrounding Tucson, CBP processing centers are often at double their capacity. The two Homeland Security officials told NBC News that Border Patrol agents are dropping off busloads of migrants every half-hour in downtown Nogales, Arizona, to alleviate crowding in processing centers.
Read more at AOL.com
What Are Your Thoughts?
