(The Center Square) – In the last fiscal year, California received 11,121 unaccompanied migrant children (UACs), many of whom were brought into the country illegally, according to data published by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Refugee Resettlement, tasked with oversight of and caring for them.
California received the second highest number behind Texas in fiscal 2023. However, in some fiscal years, early on when ORR began collecting the data, California had the highest numbers.
From fiscal years 2015 to 2023, the greatest total number of UACs were “resettled” to Texas, followed by California and Florida, according to the data. Every year, the most populous states received the greatest number of children.
Over the past nine fiscal years, California received the second greatest number of 68,249. Texas received the most of 82,391; Florida the third-most of 60,192.
From March 2003 to July 2022, ORR says it has cared for more than 409,550 children. The overwhelming majority arriving are males by a roughly 70-30 split, according to ORR data.
According to federal law passed in 2003, “When a child who is not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian is apprehended by immigration authorities, the child is transferred to the care and custody of” the ORR. Federal law requires ORR to provide these children with food, shelter, and medical care and release them “to safe settings with sponsors (usually family members), while they await immigration proceedings.”
Of the 11,121 unaccompanied children sent to California through ORR in fiscal 2023, 10,743 were released to sponsors in 21 counties. The difference of 378 is reportedly due to the fact that not all are housed with sponsors. Many are sent to facilities managed by non-governmental organizations receiving tens of millions of dollars from federal and state governments nationwide.
The top three receiving counties were Los Angeles (3,949), Alameda (874), and Orange (598).
Federal and state lawmakers have raised concerns about ORR’s oversight and care of the children once they are in custody of sponsors and HHS-contracted facilities. Questions remain about unaccounted-for children, allegations of abuse, and lack of accountability of officials responsible for their care.
At the state level, a Texas-based group has called on the Texas Legislature to enact reforms requiring minimum standards for facilities housing unaccompanied minors. At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, attempted to hold the head of the ORR responsible by eliminating her salary. Instead, 45 Republicans joined Democrats to defeat him – including five from California: Ken Calvert, John Duarte, Kevin Kiley, Young Kim, Jay Obernolte, and David Valadao.
Several federal and state reports have identified years of allegations of abuse at several HHS-contracted facilities, ongoing deficiencies within the ORR, and frustrations expressed by state and local government officials over socio-economic impact to their communities.
Below are the 21 counties where sponsors received unaccompanied minors in fiscal 2023. If counties where HHS-contracted facilities are located were included, more would be on the list.
Alameda
874
Contra Costa
569
Fresno
336
Kern
218
Los Angeles
3949
Marin
281
Monterey
124
Orange
598
Riverside
455
Sacramento
253
San Bernardino
379
San Diego
347
San Francisco
402
San Joaquin
204
San Mateo
585
Santa Barbara
136
Santa Clara
499
Solano
138
Sonoma
97
Stanislaus
111
Ventura
188
These numbers exclude the number of children in California counties who arrived at the southern or norther borders as part of family units. They were released into the country by the Biden administration without undergoing DNA testing to determine if they were related to the adults with whom they were traveling, according to a recent policy change.
