Staggering decrease in migrant apprehensions in Yuma
Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents have released new numbers showing the staggering decrease in apprehensions along the southern border.
For the fiscal year 2019, agents apprehended 69-thousand migrants compared to 2018, where agents detained 26-thousand people. Agents saw an even greater decrease in numbers August and July.
” During the month of August agents apprehended a total of 1,883 people and for July that number was 3-thousand, ” said Chief Anthony Porvaznik , with Yuma Sector Border Patrol.
The chief those numbers represent a 47 percent decline between August and July. He also added that Mexico’s efforts to stop the flow of traffic coming north has also helped, meaning migrants will have to wait in Mexico for their immigration court date.
He added that the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy also known as the ‘Migrant Protection Protocol,’ has been a tremendous tool for the agency. Although the policy has not begun in Yuma, agents have taken over four-thousand migrant families to El Centro to then be transferred to Mexicali.
However, the chief said an agreement on both sides of the border has to be made.
” To return people back to Mexico under the migrant protection protocol to San Luis Rio Colorado Because Mexico does not feel like they have the resources to handle that amount of people, ” said Chief Porvaznik .
The chief said the Flores Settlement agreement that will begin next month will be a game-changer. Currently, families can only stay in custody for 20 days, but that could soon change.
Border Patrol, however, continues to call this a crisis, even though numbers are down and the Salvation Army’s shelter even closed down because of how little migrant was inside.
” What we don’t want to happen is be caught in a situation where we were past couple of years where we did not have the facility to house these people, ” said Chief Porvaznik .
