On Monday, Border Patrol Agents near the Rio Grande in Kinney County discovered five unaccompanied children abandoned on the bank, miles from the nearest town.
Chief Patrol Agent Austin Skero for the Del Rio Sector said they had lanyards around their necks with cards presumably bearing the names of relatives in the United States. They had no supplies, water, or food to prepare them for conditions in the hostile and remote area.
The smuggling tactic could have disastrous consequences for children as the summer temperatures rise. In this remote area, the nearest medical facility is roughly 30 miles away. Overall, the flow of unaccompanied children has increased dramatically and is proving a challenge for the Border Patrol who must balance the humanitarian needs of detained children with typical duties.
According to a law enforcement source, this is a new tactic for the remote area.
“Migrant family groups have been smuggled through the area for years, but abandoning children in the remote area is beyond troubling,” the source says. \
Aside from the elements, the children face the hazards of crossing the river. The frequent upstream releases from the Amistad Reservoir can cause sudden changes to flow.
As troubling as the Border Patrol finds the new smuggling tactic to be, the surge in unaccompanied children is casing other problems for the new administration. Border Patrol facilities are experiencing severe overcrowding as Health and Human Services (HHS) rushes to open shelters.
According to HHS, the 30-day average apprehension for unaccompanied children is 486. As of last Friday, over 18,000 unaccompanied children were being detained by HHS and Customs and Border Protection authorities.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX