Over 400+ fraudulent family cases found in Yuma Sector

Agents at the Yuma Sector Border Patrol has detected over 450 fraudulent family cases in the fiscal year 2019, during the hundred of apprehensions that happen on a daily basis with undocumented immigrants.

In some cases, agents said adults in these groups are lying by claiming they are the father or mother of these children when they are not.

“They know that they will be released within 20 days as per the Flores settlement that anyone with a child could not be held in custody for more than 20 days,” said Anthony Porvaznik, the Chief of the Yuma Sector.

Agents also said that there are not enough facilities to hold these family units for the duration of those days.

“If they bring a child in with them they know they are going to be released, we’ve been apart of cases that people are taking children that are claiming to be their kid and to get to their destination in the U.S.,” said Chief Porvaznik.

Agents at the Yuma Sector are currently involved in an investigation with an alleged fraudulent family that is now in South Carolina that entered the U.S. through the Yuma Sector. All of these cases are still under investigated

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are taking part in voluntary DNA testing in cases where officials suspect that adults are claiming to be parents of children as they cross the border.