HHS spent $13 billion on unaccompanied minors at the US border since 2013

A newly published report, based on data from Health and Human Services, highlights that the U.S. has spent a staggering $13 billion to support unaccompanied minors at the border since 2012.

A record-breaking 150,000 such minors were encountered at the southwest border in 2022 alone, leading to an expenditure of $2.1 billion that year, which averages to about $18,000 per minor encounter, according to analysis by OpenTheBooks.

The site's founder, Adam Andrzejewski, wrote, "The chaos on America's southern border has had unintended consequence – a human catastrophe affecting tens of thousands of unaccompanied, defenseless children." He also noted that, despite substantial taxpayer funding, the federal infrastructure designed to protect these children is alarmingly insufficient.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) characterizes unaccompanied minors as those lacking lawful immigration status in the U.S., who are under 18, and who either have no parent or legal guardian in the U.S., or whose guardian cannot provide care and physical custody. Yet, despite the funds invested, reports suggest that around 85,000 of these minors remain missing and unaccounted for by the federal government.

ORR holds the responsibility of making placement decisions, ensuring the child's interests are considered, and releasing minors to qualified sponsors who can ensure their physical and mental well-being. It also acknowledges that these minors are highly susceptible to human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.

In terms of financial outlay, the ORR has seen a substantial budget increase, rising from $950 million in grants in 2017 to a budget of $2.7 billion for the fiscal year 2023. The bulk of this spending, $7.8 billion, was seen in Texas, with an additional $1.4 billion spent in New York and $660 million in Florida.

Southwest Key Programs, Baptist Child and Family Services, and Health and Human Services are among the organizations that have received grants from ORR.

However, troubling reports suggest some unaccompanied minors have been compelled into hazardous food processing factory work, violating child labor laws. A Florida Grand Jury report even accused the Biden administration of "facilitating the forced migration, sale, and abuse of foreign children."

Furthermore, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General report critiqued the agency for failing to perform background checks on those tasked with the wellbeing of these unaccompanied minors.