The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the southwest border has reached the lowest level in nearly two years, just months after an influx of children prompted the Obama administration to declare a humanitarian crisis, says the Washington Post. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said 2,424 unaccompanied minors crossed the border in September, continuing a steady decline from June, when more than 10,000 unattended children crossed.
The number fell to 5,501 in July and 3,141 in August. Johnson said the total for fiscal 2014 was 68,434. Many of the crossings are motivated by widespread gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
credited his department's efforts to stem the flow, including building more detention facilities and processing centers, increasing border security in south Texas and enlisting President Obama to urge Central American leaders to discourage people from making the journey north.