Officials with the Department of Homeland Security are calling for extra detention space for detained immigrants. This follows is a noticeable rise in the number of apprehended undocumented immigrants on the south-west US-Mexico border last month, according to the head of the agency.
As many as 46,195 undocumented immigrants were caught on south-west border points of entry in October. This is a massive increase from the figures of 39,501 and 37,048 recorded in September and August respectively, as revealed in a press release by Jeh Johnson, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. There has also been an increase in the number of people seeking asylum at border entry points as well as more families and unaccompanied minors.
Johnson says that immigration enforcement and border security personnel need to keep pace with the increase, with 41,000 immigrants currently being detained in immigration detention facilities. The figure is normally between 31,000 and 34,000. Johnson has given the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorization to find extra detention space so that any single adults caught at the border can be returned to their home nations as soon as possible.
Johnson also says that US borders are not open to illegal immigration and that the increased number of immigrants has resulted in greater engagement with officials from their home nations. Johnson added that border security and public safety are priorities and that immigration laws must be enforced in a manner consistent with those priorities.