Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Raul Ortiz said he’s seeing a growing number of migrant children crossing the border with people pretending to be their parents.

“We really are concerned, especially for those tender-age children because quite often they can’t communicate that they’re not with a family member,” he said.

He said during long and dangerous treks toward the U.S. border, which can span several weeks, agents worry about the kind of abuses these children may face.

On Thursday, officials revealed that in seven of 102 cases involving children under 5 separated from their guardians, the adult was determined not to actually be the parent. – READ MORE

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw issued an order last month that the government must reunite the youngest children within 14 days. That deadline expired on Tuesday.

Children older than 5 were ordered to be reunited within 30 days of the order.

Federal authorities say they could not meet the earlier deadline due to a number of factors that made releasing the children into a parent’s custody unsafe or impossible.

In at least five cases, government records indicate an individual claiming to be a child’s parent was proven through DNA testing not be.

Another eight adults were not reunited with their children because they were flagged for a serious criminal history including charges like murder and kidnapping. In these cases, officials determined that the parents were not fit to regain custody.

Sabraw addressed the government’s concerns in court on Tuesday and was unsympathetic for the excuses presented.

“These are firm deadlines,” he said. “They’re not aspirational goals.”

The judge told officials that they were still expected to abide by the previous ruling and that roadblocks along the way were not sufficient cause to delay family reunification. – READ MORE