More than 500 migrant children spend in Border Patrol custody triple the time allowed

By Julia Ainsley - NBC News

WASHINGTON - More than 500 migrant children detained by immigration authorities as of Thursday have been in the custody of the Border Patrol (CBP) for more than 10 days, much longer than the limit. three days, according to new data obtained by NBC News, the sister network of Noticias Telemundo.

This occurs while many border facilities, which were not originally built to house children, have far exceeded their capacity.

Many of the children are detained in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, the epicenter of a recent surge in migrant arrivals.

There, as of Thursday,

more than 4,000 asylum seekers of all ages were detained in a sector with facilities intended to house just 715

, according to the data.

At the soft-walled tent facility in Donna, Texas, built to house growing numbers in the Rio Grande Valley, more than 3,300 immigrants were in custody in a facility built for 250, as of Thursday.

["We couldn't breathe": a mother and her daughter cross Mexico in a truck]

The numbers of immigrants in these centers fluctuate daily, as some adults are quickly processed and released, or expelled from the United States.

Migrants believe that it will be easier to enter the United States if they travel with their children in their arms.

But the border is not open

March 13, 202101: 26

Overcrowding is particularly problematic for children

, as border facilities were not intended to house minors, especially for long periods of time.

During a wave of unaccompanied migrant children under the Trump Administration in 2019, minors said they had enough space to lie down and sleep.

The Biden Administration has said that children get three meals a day

, regular access to snacks, and occasional playtime.

As of Thursday, there were 4,500 children in Border Patrol custody along the entire southern border, according to an Administration official, compared to 4,276 children remaining in Border Patrol custody on Sunday, according to reports. data obtained by NBC News.

[The Government will contact the families of migrant children alone to speed up their reception]

One of the main causes of the overcrowding of unaccompanied children in Border Patrol facilities is the lack of space in which they are managed by the agency designated to care for migrant children, the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

About 10,000 unaccompanied children crossed the southern border in February, according to the Border Patrol

March 15, 202101: 52

In a call with reporters Thursday, Biden Administration officials said they are working to get the children out of Border Patrol custody and into HHS facilities more quickly.

"We also have the priority that children are safe and we will make sure that they are released from CBP custody because we absolutely understand that these are not places for children to stay long term and must be in a place suitable for minors," said an Administration official, adding that HHS is working to open new facilities and add more space to existing facilities.

After being contacted for comment, the Department of Homeland Security quoted a recent statement by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: "As I have said many times, a Border Patrol facility is no place for a child. We are working in partnership with HHS to address the needs of unaccompanied minors, which is only

made more difficult given the protocols and restrictions required

to protect public health and the health of the children themselves. "