The Trump administration is pushing for US immigration officers to have access to databases containing information about unaccompanied migrant children in government custody. The Office of Refugee Resettlement, under the Health and Human Services Department, is responsible for caring for children who entered the US without their parents. The agency maintains custody databases and screens sponsors before placing the children.
Border czar Tom Homan emphasized the need to locate thousands of migrant children who are currently unaccounted for. While not ruling out potential enforcement use of the database in the future, Homan stressed that the primary focus is on ensuring the safety of the children.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to visit the Texas-Mexico border this weekend, where border crossings have been averaging around 1,000 per day. Noem will be inspecting an area where Texas has deployed troops and established buoys to enhance border security.
The first US military flight carrying deportees from the US to Honduras recently landed in San Pedro Sula, with migrants seen boarding buses. A second flight is expected later today. Additionally, the US Embassy in Colombia has resumed visa processing after a temporary suspension due to the country's refusal to accept military deportation flights, causing disruptions to visa appointments.
US envoy Richard Grenell and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro held discussions at the presidential palace in Caracas, focusing on immigration, the impact of sanctions on Venezuela, and American citizens detained in the country. Maduro proposed a 'new start' in the relationship between the two nations during the meeting.
