President Trump’s administration has made an unprecedented decision, by relocating southern border crossers for processing elsewhere in the United States. To deal with record numbers crossing the southern border, officials are now sending asylum seekers and illegal immigrants to locations in California and Texas.

This is the first time that border crossers have been relocated due to a lack of resources. Federal officials are required to process immigrants within 72 hours of them arriving in the United States.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) approved the new measures earlier this month. CBP has not advised how long the practice will continue but noted that some immigrants will be relocated for the “foreseeable future”.

Number of Cities Used for Processing Could Increase

Currently, CBP is flying or bussing border crossers to San Diego or El Centro in California, and Del Rio or Laredo in Texas. Processing includes health screening, fingerprinting, and background checks. Immigrants are typically released but must return for a later court hearing to proceed with their cases.

In the future, the administration could send immigrants to cities far beyond the southern border states. Detroit and Buffalo are two cities that have been named as potential locations for processing. Areas of Florida are also under consideration. The government could make decisions based on available facilities, such as large hurricane shelters that are not in use.

Border Agents are Overwhelmed

President Trump has often referred to the immigration problem as a “crisis” at the border. Looking at the figures, the Commander in Chief is not exaggerating.

A total of 460,294 illegal immigrants were apprehended  between October 2018 and April of this year. March and April were some of the worst months on record, with 92,831 and 98,988 apprehensions.

Particularly worrying is the number of unaccompanied children that are crossing. In the reporting period, border agents apprehended 44,779 minors without guardians.

Undisclosed Costs

The government has not revealed how much they are spending on relocation and processing. Five planes a week are currently flying from border cities to Del Rio in Texas, while three are flying to San Diego. Four buses are used daily to transport immigrants from the border to Laredo in Texas. Government vans are used to transport up to 125 people per day from the border to El Centro in California.

CBP has enlisted the help of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which is supplying planes and other resources.

This news illustrates how serious the situation is at, and how important it is for Congress to find a solution to the ongoing crisis.