Rapid DNA testing reveals a THIRD of migrants faked family relationship with children to claim asylum during ICE pilot of the procedure in Texas
- ICE ran the pilot for a few days this month in El Paso and McAllen, Texas
- About 30% of migrants tested with rapid DNA were lying about familial relations
- Migrants with children can claim asylum and avoid detention in most cases
An Immigration
and Customs Enforcement pilot of new rapid DNA testing at the border
has found that nearly a third of those tested were not biologically
related to the children in their custody.
ICE conducted the pilot for a few days earlier this month in El Paso and McAllen, Texas, finding about 30 per cent of those tested were not related to the children they claimed were their own, an official told the Washington Examiner.
The official said that these were not cases of step-fathers or adoptive parents.
'Those were not the case. In these cases, they are misrepresented as family members,' the official said.
Border Patrol agents are seen
processing a family unit in Texas earlier this month. A pilot program of
DNA testing found that 30 per cent of those tested had lied about
family ties
Central Americans who cross the
border illegally with children can claim asylum and avoid any lengthy
detention in most cases. Migrants are seen in March after illegally
entering Texas
It
is unclear whether every family unit was tested during the pilot, or
only those who raised some sort of red flag. An ICE spokesman did not
immediately respond to request for comment.
The
official said that some migrants did refuse the test and admit that
they were not related to the children they were with, when they learned
their claim would be subjected to DNA proof.
ICE
said the Department of Homeland Security would look at the results of
the pilot to determine whether to roll out rapid DNA tests more
broadly.
After President Donald
Trump's administration backpedaled on 'family separation' in the face of
enormous backlash last summer, the number of family units arriving at
the southern border has skyrocketed.
Current
U.S. law and policy means that Central Americans who cross the border
illegally with children can claim asylum and avoid any lengthy detention
in most cases.
Migrants are seen outside the U.S. Border Patrol McAllen Station in a makeshift encampment in McAllen, Texas earlier this month
U.S. Border Patrol McAllen Station has been inundated with migrant family units
US
Border Patrol says it has apprehended 535,000 for crossing the border
illegally so far this year, with 'no sign of it getting better.'
Due to massive strain on the processing system, 40,000 of those have been released into communities, the agency said.
On
Saturday, the Trump administration told lawmakers that it probably will
cost more to care for migrants crossing into the United States from
Mexico than the $2.9 billion in emergency money requested just two weeks
ago.
In a White House letter, acting
budget chief Russell Vought said 'the situation has continued to
deteriorate and is exceeding previous high end estimates.'
Health
and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a separate letter that
needs for the unaccompanied children account 'could grow further and be
closer to the worst-case scenario HHS had proposed be the basis for the
supplemental request, which was $1.4 billion higher.'
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