In March about 17,000 of the nearly 53,000 parents and children caught at the border were expelled under a COVID- related public health order known as Title 42, an administration official said during a background briefing on Wednesday.

On March 25, Biden said during a news conference that,” We’re sending back the vast majority of the families that are coming, we’re trying to work out now with Mexico, their willingness to take more of those families back.”

White House spokesman Vedant Patel said the administration’s policy is to expel single adults and families to Mexico under Title 42 if they are caught crossing the southwest border illegally, but he added that does not always happen.

”In the event that Mexico is not able to receive an individual or family, they are placed in immigration proceeding in the United States; he said in a statement.

In March, border agents caught about 19,000 unaccompanied children attempting to cross the border, the administration official said on Wednesday, up from roughly 6,000 in January.