New wave of unauthorized Central American immigrants crossing southern border

A new wave of refugees from Central America, many of them children traveling alone, are crossing illegally into the United States, according to Arizona Public Media.

From January 2014 to April 2014, 28,000 Central American children came into the United States. That number fell by half in 2015, then rose to 27,000 children in 2016 between January and April, almost reaching the 2014 high.

Many of the children flee Central America to escape drug violence in their homelands, according to PBS NewsHour. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime provided data that show countries in the region that stretches from Nicaragua to Guatemala have the highest murder rates in the world. San Pedro Sula in Honduras is the deadliest city in the world. Guatemala and El Salvador also have high murder rates. This drug violence, along with gang violence, has caused the migration increase.

In February, Agency Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske asked the House Appropriations Committee for $12 million and a contingency fund of up to $23 million to handle approximately 75,000 children expected to cross the border in 2016, about the same number as in 2014.

According to law enforcement officials in Yuma County, the county in Arizona’s southwestern corner has seen a surge in immigrants crossing the border this year, especially with children. In 2014, the county saw 178 children cross the border. There were already 1,500 child immigrants in Yuma County by March 2016.