Franco Ordoñez
Franco Ordoñez is a White House Correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk. Before he came to NPR in 2019, Ordoñez covered the White House for McClatchy. He has also written about diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and immigration, and has been a correspondent in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and Haiti.
Ordoñez has received several state and national awards for his work, including the Casey Medal, the Gerald Loeb Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism. He is a two-time reporting fellow with the International Center for Journalists, and is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and the University of Georgia.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents encountered nearly 172,000 migrants at the border in March, up 71% from February. The increase included a record number of unaccompanied minors. -
Officials are trying to shrink the timetable for many asylum cases from "years to months." That could benefit people with legitimate asylum claims and discourage some unauthorized migration.
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As Biden stated, crossings often rise during the early months of the year as the weather improves. But the number of unaccompanied children arriving is considerably higher than in the recent years.
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The unaccompanied minors are spending an average of 117 hours in detention facilities, beyond the 72 hours allowed, according to a Department of Homeland Security document.
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The Trump administration had encouraged child welfare officers dealing with unaccompanied minors to share information about potential adult sponsors with immigration enforcement agents.
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The White House asks Congress for $4 billion in aid for countries in Central America to address root causes of illegal migration, as the number of border crossings into the U.S. spikes.
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Parents and children arriving at the border would be more quickly released within 72 hours, sources say.
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President Biden has been working to unwind many of the executive actions taken by former President Donald Trump. But the administration has warned that the changes will take time.
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Biden has signed 15 executive actions on priorities including COVID-19, climate change, racial justice — and rolling back Trump rules.
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President Trump was impeached for inciting his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol. The violence and its aftermath will be an enduring symbol of his four years in the White House.
