Alarming Surge: Children abandoned at US borders soar by 233% in four years

The aspiration to establish residence in the US and obtain green cards is prompting Indians to leave their children unaccompanied at American land borders with Mexico and Canada. In the financial year 2023 (Oct 1, 2022, to Sept 30, 2023), US agencies discovered 730 unaccompanied Indian children on these borders, marking the highest number since the fiscal year 2020.

Statistics from the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) indicate a remarkable surge of 233% from 2020 to 2023. In the month of October, a total of 78 children were discovered at the borders, with 73 located on the Mexico border, commonly referred to as the Donkey route, and five on the Canada border. 

The majority of these children range from 10 to 14 years old, with reported cases of abandonment involving children as young as four. 

After these children come under the custody of a US agency, their parents or relatives residing in America engage legal representation and ultimately obtain custody of the children as guardians.

A police officer from Gujarat affirmed the prevalence of this human smuggling trend, noting that it is perceived as a mutually beneficial situation for both parents and human smugglers. After these children come under the custody of a US agency, their parents or relatives residing in America engage legal representation and ultimately obtain custody of the children as guardians.