Apprehensions of children and their families exceed those of unaccompanied children in 2016 U.S-Mexico border apprehensions in the first sixmonths of each fiscal year
Apprehensions of children and their families at the U.S.-Mexico border since October 2015 have more than doubled from a year ago and now outnumber apprehensions of unaccompanied children, a figure that also increased this year, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
There were 32,117 apprehensions of family members – defined as children traveling with at least one parent or guardian – during the first six months of fiscal 2016 (October 2015 to March 2016). By comparison, apprehensions of unaccompanied children totaled 27,754 over the same period. The number of family apprehensions is more than double that of the previous year. The number of apprehensions of unaccompanied children shot up by 78%.
The apprehension of more families than unaccompanied children is a reversal from summer 2014, when thousands of children fled gang violence and poverty in Central America and migrated north to the U.S. without a parent or guardian. During the first six months of fiscal 2014, there were 19,830 apprehensions of children and their families, compared with 28,579 apprehensions of unaccompanied children.
Apprehensions of children and their families exceed those of unaccompanied  | children in 2016  | U.S-Mexico border apprehensions in the first sixmonths of each fiscal year  | Unaccompanied children  | Children and  | their families  | 32,117  | 28,579  | 27. .754  | 19, .830  | 15,616  | 13.913  | FY2014  | FY2015  | FY2016  | FY2014  | FY2015  | FY2016  | Note Apprehension numbers for children and theirfamilies apprehended. include both the children and adults travelingwith them Data refer to the number  | ofapprehensions, Apprehension notthe numberof unique individuals apprehended.  | Source: U.S Customs and Border Protection data  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 