Last month saw a 6-percent increase in the number of migrant families with children and unaccompanied minors detained along the country's southern border, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) noted as revealed in a report.
In January, the CBP apprehended almost 5,900 unaccompanied minors and detained 7,500 parents and children travelling together, as compared to about 4,700 apprehensions of families and nearly 5,000 arrests of unaccompanied children in December, according to the survey.
The CBP suggested that the growth in crossings could be linked to crime and the unstable situation in some Latin American countries, as well as "inaccurate perceptions of shifts in immigration and border security policies".
The report follows media outlets earlier stating that the US Border Patrol has been swamped by a flow of illegal immigrants in Texas since a new immigration policy was introduced by US President Joe Biden.
Local officials and law enforcement reportedly expressed concerns that parts of the US-Mexico border in Texas could remain unprotected against the wave of migrants that could easily overwhelm New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
The alleged developments followed Biden ordering a review of the CDC instructions still being used to conduct numerous expulsions of migrants and asylum seekers. White House press secretary Jen Psaki, however, admitted that the policy of expelling refugees would remain in place for the time being.
"Now is not the time [for migrants] to come, and the vast majority of people will be turned away. Asylum processes at the border will not occur immediately; it will take time to implement", she told reporters on Wednesday.
Shortly after his inauguration, Biden ordered the establishment of an inter-agency task force for "reunification of families" along the southern border, setting a 120-day deadline to submit an initial report.
The Biden administration has also announced a bill that would provide citizenship to about 11 million illegal immigrants living in the US.
In addition, Biden announced that his administration is going to raise the limit of refugees that can come to the US to 125,000. The previous refugee admission cap was reduced to 15,000 by former US President Donald Trump.
