YUMA, Ariz. – Border guards from the Yuma sector have seen an increase in the number of young people under the age of 13 crossing the border alone in recent months.
As of January 1, agents have arrested 28 unaccompanied children of tender age, that is, children under the age of 13 who are not with a parent or legal guardian. This is compared to 13 unaccompanied children of tender age in the same period in 2019. The tender age is a term used by the US Border Patrol to describe children under the age of 13. The definition of the tender age is intended to remove confusion and align the USBP terminology with the Office for Resettlement of Refugees.
“Smuggling children is extremely dangerous, and the danger is even greater when the child is sent alone,” said Chris T. Clem, chief patrol agent for the Yuma Sector. “It further shows the continued disregard for human life through the smuggling of organizations by circumventing our laws and taking advantage of the vulnerabilities of these populations.”
The origins of the 28 unaccompanied children of tender age arrested since the beginning of the year include Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.
-USBP-
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