US may be at breaking point along southern border

According to government officials, the United States faces a major humanitarian crisis with its southwestern border as tens of thousands of mostly Central Americans increasingly try to enter the country. More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, nearly double the number from the same period in 2018. A surge of migrants along the US-Mexico border has led leaders in the US Customs and Border Protection to say, "The system is well beyond capacity and remains at the breaking point." Families and unaccompanied children make up more than 60% of apprehensions along the Southwest border. They're predominantly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Previously, mostly single males from Mexico crossed illegally into the US, and they were quickly returned to Mexico. Because most crossing now are family members from the Northern Triangle countries, the US does not have the infrastructure to accommodate the influx. New immigration restrictions in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas do not appear to be working, and with border patrol offices understaffed and unprepared to deal with the massive influx, the problem does not look like as though it will improve any time soon. The CBP announced major changes to procedures for guaranteeing proper medical care for migrants in in their custody. Efforts include hiring more healthcare practitioners and increased translation services. “These solutions are temporary and this situation is not sustainable," The CBP said. "This is clearly both a border security and a humanitarian crisis."

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