Name: Number of migrant children in US custody TRIPLES in last two weeks
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Number of migrant children in US custody TRIPLES in last two weeks

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&nbsp;Tuesday, Mar 9th 2021| 1.8k President 's administration faces logistical and humanitarian struggle at the border with the crush of childhood arrivals tripling in a mere two-week period – but the White House would not term is a 'crisis' Tuesday.'I don’t think we need to put new labels on what we have already conveyed is challenging,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki at the daily White House press briefing.It was a term the administration's top homeland official Alejandro Mayorkas has also declined to apply.She attributed the problem, which has echoes of what the Trump Administration encountered, to challenges processing unaccompanied children amid the coronavirus pandemic. 'One of the issues we’ve had is that the Covid-19 pandemic initially severely limited the number of children that could be taken into HHS facilities and the pace at which they can happen and the pace at which that can happen,' she said.'What I also think is important is to talk about what the root causes are here and what we're doing from a policy standpoint to try and address the challenges that we're facing and that these kids are facing as they come across the border,' said Psaki.&nbsp;Under the law, unaccompanied child migrants must be transferred to Health and Human Services custody within 72 hours of arrival. They are usually at the hands of Custom and Border Protection while being processed.&nbsp;The influx comes as the administration continues to urge people not to send unaccompanied children across the border, as a wave of immigrants appears to be drawn by Biden's pledge to relax restrictions and provide a path to citizenship for people who are already living here.More than&nbsp;3,250 unaccompanied minors are currently being held at the border. Lacking sufficient facilities and amid burdens, more than&nbsp;1,360 have been detained beyond the three days allowed by law, according to data.&nbsp;It was a figure Psaki would not confirm, directing questions to HHS.&nbsp; The number tripled over a two-week period.&nbsp;Nearly 170 of those being detained are younger than 13,&nbsp; reported.&nbsp; A total of 9,000 unaccompanied children crossed the border in February, according to data reviewed by the network.&nbsp;Due to issues obtaining facilities, many are held in Customs and Border Protection holding cells known as iceboxes or 'hieleras,' according to the network. They have concrete rooms and metal benches but do not have beds.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shelters are within two weeks of surpassing their occupancy, according to the latest data.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amid the crush, Health and Human Services Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has asked his agency for volunteers to assist with the 'overwhelming' number of migrants.'Today, I activated the Volunteer Force to support Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as they face a surge in migration along the Southwest Border,' Mayorkas said in a staff email, reported. 'You have likely seen the news about the overwhelming numbers of migrants seeking access to this country along the Southwest Border,' he continued. 'President Biden and I are committed to ensuring our Nation has a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system while continuing to balance all of the other critical DHS missions.'&nbsp;Republicans, who were put on the defensive by treatment of childhood arrivals during the Trump administration, blasted the Biden administration for the policy on its watch Tuesday.'Policy has consequences,' said House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). 'When you say that you’re not going to enforce our immigration laws, when you say that you’re not going to build a border wall, it has consequences. And we’re seeing the tragic consequences of that right now,' she said.The influx has caused holding facilities to become overburdened, and follows searing criticism of the Trump administration for its treatment of unaccompanied children and other migrants at the border amid its 'zero tolerance' policy.&nbsp;Amid the crush, the administration on Friday reopened the&nbsp;Carrizo Springs, Texas tent facility shuttered by the Trump administration in 2019. It is to hold 700 children between 13 and 17 years old.Customs and Border Patrol data on unaccompanied children through January show a 64 per cent increase compared to this time last year.In certain sectors, the jump is even more dramatic. At the Big Ben sector in Texas, it is 141 per cent; at Del Rio in Texas it is 122 per cent.&nbsp;White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said last month the Carrizo Springs facility was the 'most humane' option compared to sending children on a treacherous path home.&nbsp;&nbsp;'This is a difficult choice but that's one that we felt was the right one, the most humane one,' she said.&nbsp;The children are being held in&nbsp;Customs and Border Protection facilities but by law must be quickly transferred to HHS care.&nbsp;HHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a White House early this month: 'We are not saying, "Don't come." We are saying, "Don't come now because we will be able to deliver a safe and orderly process to them as quickly as possible." At the time he called the situation a challenge but declined to call it a 'crisis.'Share what you thinkThe comments below have not been moderated.The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.Post comment to your Facebook TimelineBy posting your comment you agree to our .Submit CommentClearDo you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.&nbsp;NoYesDo you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usualWe will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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&nbsp;Tuesday, Mar 9th 2021| 1.8k President 's administration faces logistical and humanitarian struggle at the border with the crush of childhood arrivals tripling in a mere two-week period – but the White House would not term is a 'crisis' Tuesday.'I don’t think we need to put new labels on what we have already conveyed is challenging,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki at the daily White House press briefing.It was a term the administration's top homeland official Alejandro Mayorkas has also declined to apply.She attributed the problem, which has echoes of what the Trump...

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Geoff Earle

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Number of migrant children in US custody TRIPLES in last two weeks

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