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9-Year-Old Migrant Drowns Crossing Rio Grande

Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector head said his agents have rescued more than 500 migrants attempting to cross the border since Oct. 1.

This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to a rescue call and found a mother and two children unconscious on an island that separates Mexico and the U.S. They were able to resuscitate the mother and the young child, but the 9-year-old girl didn’t survive. Austin L. Skero II, the chief patrol agent for the Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector, said his agents have rescued more than 500 migrants attempting to cross the border since Oct. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, 82 migrants have died in that period. The New York Times 

In other national immigration news…

Asian Deportations, Refugee Removals Increased Under Trump

Saroun Khan was 4 years old when he arrived in Philadelphia from Cambodia in 1984. But in March of last year, federal immigration agents arrested him and put him into detention with possible deportation. Khan took a joyride in an unlocked car when he was 19, and served time in prison for it. But within immigration law, that crime is considered an “aggravated felony,” making him obligated for deportation even though he’s a legal permanent resident in the U.S. Enforcement against Khan is just one of many examples of how deportations of Asians grew under former President Donald Trump. The Philadelphia Inquirer 

Migrants at the Border Say ‘There Are No Options For Us Back Home’

Over these last few weeks, the number of migrants that have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border has drastically increased. The Biden administration has told migrants to stay home. Still, Kevin, a 28-year-old Honduran, is among many who felt it was worth the risk to travel north with his wife and his son. He wasn’t aware of the political environment in the U.S., but said even if he was, he still would have made the trip. Kevin was a barber in his hometown, but the pandemic and two hurricanes destroyed their business and home. “People say, ‘Don’t come, it’s too dangerous,’ but there are no options for us back home,” he said. BuzzFeed News 

South Florida Woman Helps Reunite Migrant Families

In one week, Nora Sandigo received 500 calls from immigrant parents trying to find their children. When someone calls one of her six phones, Sandigo connects them with pro bono attorneys and volunteer advocates. Many Central American parents have sent their unaccompanied children to cross the border with the idea that they would get in with no problem. But instead they’re being placed in over capacity centers until officials can find their parents or sponsors, which can take months. More than 11,000 children were detained between February 28 and March 20, according to CBP. Sandigo said the surge in calls was “reminiscent of Trump’s first year in office— if not more, a lot more.” Miami Herald

First Group of Migrant Girls Arrive at San Diego Convention Center

The first group of unaccompanied girls arrived at the San Diego Convention Center, now a temporary facility for holding migrant children, late Saturday. U.S Health and Human Services said it would receive about 500 teenage girls on the first day of operation for the facility. The girls would be tested for COVID-19 before arriving, and again every three days at the facility. The Biden administration has been reopening temporary facilities to move migrant children out of Border Patrol custody. The Convention Center was originally supposed to operate as a HHS facility until July 1, but was extended until mid-July. San Diego Union-Tribune

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