Border

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.

Any effort to address what's happening on the border has to start with root causes in Central America, says Cecilia Muñoz, who was head of the Domestic Policy Council in the Obama administration.

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.

The Biden administration has been struggling to deal with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. The current increase is straining resources and sowing confusion for migrants on both sides of the border.

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.

Some Mexicans with family ties or dual citizenship in the U.S., or who can afford the airfare, head north of the border to get vaccinated faster than the months of waiting for one back home.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection released photos and video of Texas immigrant processing centers that have faced fresh criticism for overcrowding and poor conditions.

President Biden's administration is scrambling to contain one of the first big political firestorms of his presidency as thousands of migrant children arrive at the border without their parents.

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.

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.