Of the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America who flooded the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months and years, just a fraction have been removed from the U.S.
Last fiscal year Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed just 1,379 unaccompanied alien children (UACs) from Central America, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement data provided to Breitbart News.
Of those 1,379 unaccompanied alien children (UAC), 190 were from from El Salvador, 686 from Guatemala, and 503 from Honduras.
This fiscal year to-date as of May 9, ICE has removed 624 UACs from Central America — 98 from El Salvador, 293 from Guatemala, and 233 from Honduras.
ICE notes that the UACs who have been removed were under 18 at the time of their initial book-in but might have been under 18 at the time of removal. Further, the removal totals include those identified as UACs as far back as FY 2009 through 2014/2015.
The numbers of UACs entering the U.S., however, dwarf those that have been removed.
Last fiscal year, 68,541 UACs were apprehended illegally entering the U.S. The vast majority — 53,518 — were released into the interior of the U.S., placed with relative or sponsors across the country.
While this year’s apprehensions have not kept pace with last year, they remain much higher than years past. So far Border Patrol has apprehended 26,685 UACs.
According to a recent Health and Human Services report, of the UACs apprehended last fiscal year, 90 percent have been placed with relatives in the U.S.
With officials releasing 53,550 unaccompanied illegal immigrant minors to sponsors throughout the U.S. Of those released, 48,456 were placed with relatives — 31,966 placed with a parent or stepparent and 16,490 placed with another relative.