Spike in Unaccompanied Child Arrivals at U.S.-Mexico Border Proves Enduring Challenge; Citizenship Question on 2020 Census in Doubt

Approximately 11,500 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in May, putting this year on track to exceed 2014's surge. As the U.S. government struggles to care for these child migrants, with public outrage mounting over reports of unsafe, filthy conditions in initial Border Patrol custody, the failure of the executive branch and Congress to plan for increased shelter and care demands are increasingly apparent, as this article explores.

Increased Central American Migration to the United States May Prove an Enduring Phenomenon

The complex push and pull factors driving child and family migration from Central America to the United States have changed little since the 2014 crisis. Despite some fluctuation in arrival numbers, recent trends suggest the characteristics of an enduring phenomenon. This article explores the latest developments in U.S. policy responses, including enforcement operations, development assistance, and family detention.

Trends in Unaccompanied Child and Family Migration from Central America

This fact sheet uses U.S. and Mexican apprehensions data to trace the evolving trends in unaccompanied child and family migration from Central America through Mexico and to the United States, and discusses the push factors and pull factors responsible for the increase in flows seen in recent years, as well as the growing role of smuggling organizations.

Top 10 of 2015 – Issue #8: A Shared Challenge: Europe and the United States Confront Significant Flows of Unaccompanied Child Migrants

Child migrants traveling alone to Europe or the United States face similar dangers and are particularly at risk of abuse and trafficking. The arrival of tens of thousands of such children in Europe and the United States have overwhelmed accommodations as well as legal and integration processes, as this article explores. Furthermore, the unprecedented flows have sparked heated public debate in a number of cities.

Stopping the Revolving Door: Reception and Reintegration Services for Central American Deportees

For a growing population of migrants deported from Mexico and the United States to Central America, the conditions upon return typically are worse than when they left, setting up a revolving-door cycle of migration, deportation, and remigration. This report provides a detailed profile of reception and reintegration services offered in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to deported migrants, examining their challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Unaccompanied Child Migrants in U.S. Communities, Immigration Court, and Schools

More than 77,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America were released to communities throughout the United States between October 1, 2013 and August 31, 2015. This issue brief examines where these children have been placed in the United States, how they are faring in the immigration court system, and how schools are adapting to their arrival.

Migrants Deported from the United States and Mexico to the Northern Triangle: A Statistical and Socioeconomic Profile

The United States and Mexico have apprehended nearly 1 million Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Honduran migrants since 2010, deporting more than 800,000 of them, including more than 40,000 children. This report provides a demographic, socioeconomic, and criminal profile of Central American deportees and traces how rising Mexican enforcement is reshaping regional dynamics and perhaps ushering in changes to long-lasting trends in apprehensions.

In-Country Processing in Central America: A Piece of the Puzzle

The U.S. in-country refugee processing program launched in Central America in 2014 as a response to rising unaccompanied child migration may provide a legal, safe alternative to undertaking dangerous, unauthorized journeys to the United States, albeit a limited one. This report examines the Central American Minors Refugee/Parole Program, as well as the track record of prior U.S. in-country processing programs.

Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention

Policymakers, the public, and the media were seemingly caught off-guard in spring 2014 when a surge of child migrants from Central America reached the U.S.-Mexico border. Yet the uptick began in 2011. This report examines the causes of this surge and recommends policy solutions to advance both critical protection and enforcement goals in situations of complex, mixed flows.

Unaccompanied Minors Crisis Has Receded from Headlines But Major Issues Remain

This article in MPI's online journal explores the challenges that remain concerning the fate of tens of thousands of newly arrived children and families now residing in the United States pending immigration court hearings, even as Central American child migrant flows have returned to their precrisis level. Meanwhile, Congress has declined to authorize new funding to address the situation.

The Stalemate over Unaccompanied Minors Holds Far-Reaching Implications for Broader U.S. Immigration Debates

When Congress returns from recess, lawmakers will need to pick up where they left off on approving an emergency spending bill to address unaccompanied migrant children at the border. This article previews these battles in Congress and analyzes how the recent border crisis is changing the broader U.S. immigration debate.

Upfront hearings a must to stem tide of border-crossing children

In this Dallas Morning News op-ed, MPI Senior Fellow Doris Meissner outlines a key policy option to help address the child migration crisis and reduce the likelihood that more children will set off on a dangerous journey: full immigration court hearings much earlier in the process.

Dramatic Surge in the Arrival of Unaccompanied Children Has Deep Roots and No Simple Solutions

This article is a primer on the complicated situation involving unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, overwhelmingly from Central America. The article traces the "push" factors that propel the children northward as well as the "pull" factors in the United States—including family reunification and the sometimes unintened consequences of U.S. policy.

What Is the Right Policy Toward Unaccompanied Children at U.S. Borders?

In the absence of a policy plan to address the surge in unaccompanied child arrivals, simplistic explanations and draconian “solutions” are already surfacing. In reality, the problem is enormously complex and there is no single policy approach that is going to bend the curve on unaccompanied child arrivals. In this MPI commentary, Kathleen Newland explores possible ways forward.

Transnational Crime in Mexico and Central America: Its Evolution and Role in International Migration

The growth of organized crime in Mexico and Central America has dramatically increased the risks that migrants crossing the region face. As this report outlines, migrants increasingly are forced to seek the assistance of intermediaries, and those unable to afford one are more likely to be abused along the way.

Crime and Violence in Mexico and Central America: An Evolving but Incomplete U.S. Policy Response

The U.S. government has increased its attention to public security issues in Mexico and Central America since 2007. This report suggest the policy emphasis has begun to shift away from the earlier focus on combating drug trafficking and transnational crime toward addressing the citizen security crisis.

Paying for Crime: A Review of the Relationships between Insecurity and Development in Mexico and Central America

Crime and insecurity are undermining economic and social prosperity in Mexico and Central America, eroding public trust in government institutions. This report examines current economic, social, and political costs resulting from insecurity, and future implications.

Temporary Protected Status in the United States: A Grant of Humanitarian Relief that Is Less than Permanent

Most of the 340,000 noncitizens who are beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States, which provides protection from deportation as well as work authorization, are from El Salvador and Honduras. This Migration Information Source article explains the TPS program, its origins, current beneficiaries, and more.