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We often see that when there is an increase in "family unit" encounters with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the southern border, questions often arise about the legitimacy of these families. Reports about family fraud are not included in the standard monthly data provided to the public by CBP, making it hard to verify information. However, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit organization that works closely with at-risk children at the border, published a helpful report that examines some of those questions. Pages 5-7 of the report address claims about "fake families" and alleged “recycling rings.” 

While this report is a few years old, the patterns of questions and the data shared are very relevant to the conversations that we hear today. The data shows that while there have always been some cases of people bringing children across the border who are not their children, most of the time they are non-parental family members who are caretakers for the child, not those with nefarious intentions. According to the research from KIND, most "family fraud" cases have historically involved false documents, not false claims to parentage. There hasn’t been any publicly available data to support claims of a widespread phenomenon of groups falsely claiming to be families in order to cross the border today, either. When we hear shocking claims like this, it’s important to take a look at information from trusted sources to examine whether these claims are based on facts or speculation.

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