Surge of Unaccompanied Minors at Border
Internal data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) obtained by media outlets indicate the agency is bracing for unprecedented numbers of unaccompanied minors to illegally enter the U.S. in the months ahead, exacerbating the growing humanitarian crisis at the border.
Data obtained by Axios, Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post show that CBP is projecting between 159,000 and 184,000 unaccompanied minors will be encountered at the southern border in fiscal year 2021, which ends in September.
The low point of that estimate is more than double the all-time record for apprehensions of unaccompanied minors in a single year, as 76,019 were detained during the 2019 border crisis.
There are currently nearly 5,000 children in CBP custody, in addition to more than 13,000 unaccompanied minors under the custody of the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS). The documents show that HHS has an immediate need for 6,000 beds at its facilities.
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