The Obama administration will open new detention centers and asssign extra immigration judges to Texas to increase the speed and efficiency of deportation proceedings against undocumented immigrant families with children, the New York Times reports:
The move comes as the administration is trying to quell rampant rumors throughout Central America that American border authorities are offering entry permits to parents traveling with young children after they are caught. Officials hope that by increasing the numbers of migrants who are detained and then deported, others considering the trek may be dissuaded from doing so.
The Times reports that there has been a “surge” in undocumented immigration triggered by a misunderstanding: because of a lack of capacity in detention centers for families with children, some such groups are released with a notice to appear in immigration court at a later date, which the Times says they interpret incorrectly as a permit to stay in the U.S. (The newspaper doesn’t address the seemingly more likely explanation: that these immigrants are aware their court notice is not a “permiso” and are simply taking advantage of a loophole that allows them to disappear into the United States.)
BuzzFeed reports that Vice President Biden will announce the launch of new detention facilities during an ongoing trip to Guatemala.
