Number of children at US border facilities falls

ANKARA

The number of children held by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) decreased 84% since hitting peak last month, according to a report on Friday.

There were 954 children in CBP facilities as of Wednesday, which was down from the peak of 5,767 on March 28, a White House official told CNN.

More than 172,000 migrants were arrested or detained while attempting to cross into the US through its southwest border in March, according to CBP on April 8. The number was the highest in a single month since the early 2000s.

The number of unaccompanied children taken into custody was around 18,890 in March, doubling from February. There are more than 20,200 unaccompanied minors in US custody last month, according to CBP figures.