Mexico has no register of unaccompanied minors expelled from the U.S. following a New York Times report that border agents have expelled over 200 non-Mexican migrant children to the country.
“At present there is no register of minors entering Mexican territory without being accompanied by their relatives,” Roberto Velasco, a senior Mexican foreign ministry official, said according to Reuters.
The official said the government was looking into the matter with civil society groups and other multilateral organizations.
News from Mexico follows a Friday report from the Times stating that 200 non-Mexican unaccompanied children were expelled into the country.
The Times’ report includes emails allegedly written by Border Patrol Assistant Chief Eduardo Sánchez, who warned that the expulsions violate U.S. policy and could endanger the Trump administration’s entire quick deportation strategy.
The strategy is based on Title 42 expulsions, which had become the administration’s preferred method of deportation.
Of the 54,771 undocumented immigrants encountered at the border in September of this year, 48,327 were expelled under Title 42.
“Recently, we have identified several suspected instances where Single Minors (SM) from countries other than Mexico have been expelled via ports of entry rather than referred to ICE Air Operations for expulsion flights,” Sánchez wrote in an email obtained by the Times.
“Please note that if not corrected, these actions will place Title 42 operations in significant jeopardy and must be ceased immediately. To reiterate, under no circumstances should a SM from a country other than Mexico be knowingly expelled to Mexico,” wrote Sánchez.
Border Patrol Rio Grande Sector Chief Brian Hastings acknowledged some non-Mexican children were sent to Mexico, according to the Times. Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan acknowledged that such expulsions could violate a diplomatic order between the two countries.
–Updated on Nov. 2 at 8:23 a.m.