The Border Patrol has begun flying migrants who are arrested in South Texas to San Diego and is considering other flights to Detroit, Miami and Buffalo, New York.
Douglas Harrison, the Border Patrol's interim San Diego sector chief, said Friday that the efforts are intended to help overstretched staff in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings.
Starting Friday, there will be three flights a week from Rio Grande Valley to San Diego for families only, each one carrying up to 135 people.
People will be fingerprinted, interviewed and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to decide if they will be detained or released.
Harrison says no final decision has been made on whether to have flights to Miami and the northern border.
Associated Press