Number of unaccompanied migrant children held by Border Patrol falls 88% in 5 weeks

The number of unaccompanied children held by Border Patrol has plummeted by 88% since late March, when U.S. migrant holding facilities became severely overcrowded as thousands of minors crossed the southern border alone.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was holding 677 unaccompanied children over the weekend, compared to the record 5,767 lone minors the agency had in its custody on March 28, Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas tolds reporters on Sunday.  Unaccompanied children were spending an average of 130 hours in Border Patrol custody in March, beyond the three-day legal timeframe the agency has to transfer them to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mayorkas said unaccompanied minors are now being held in Border Patrol facilities for an average of 20 hours.