Border Crisis Impact: New York Takes Fourth Spot for UAC Arrivals

August 16, 2022, Eduardo Garcia, a Venezuelan, stands outside the Catholic Charities headquarters in New York, flanked by his family.Photo byRobert Bumsted | AP Photos

New York has seen a substantial influx of unaccompanied alien children (UACs), numbering 8,477 in fiscal year 2023, ranking fourth among states receiving such children. The majority of UACs have traditionally been directed to populous states like Texas, California, and Florida. Over the period from fiscal 2015 to fiscal 2023, New York has received a total of 47,982 UACs, as reported by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a division of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS).

However, current data on the number of UACs sent to sponsors by county for fiscal year 2023 is not available on the ORR or HHS websites. The information that was previously accessible seems to have been removed, and links are broken. The discrepancy in data between the number of UACs sent to sponsors in a state and its counties is attributed to UACs not all being sent to sponsors but rather to facilities managed by non-governmental organizations. These facilities receive substantial funding from federal and state governments, leading to discrepancies in reported figures.

Legislation mandates that when unaccompanied children are apprehended by immigration authorities, they are transferred to the care of ORR, which is responsible for providing them with essentials like food, shelter, and medical care and subsequently releasing them to safe settings with sponsors while awaiting immigration proceedings.

Multiple federal and state investigations have uncovered concerning deficiencies in the oversight and care of these children, including allegations of sexual abuse and losing track of UACs once they're in the U.S. This has sparked calls for reforms at both the federal and state levels, with Texas and Florida taking action to address issues related to human trafficking, facility oversight, and penalties for those involved.

Additionally, in response to attempts to hold ORR officials accountable, several Republican representatives, including five from New York, voted against measures seeking to eliminate the salary of the ORR head. Meanwhile, UACs are distinct from illegal foreign national children arriving in family units and are housed separately from such families in facilities different from those accommodating families, as observed in incidents like the recent tragic case of an 11-year-old boy found dead in a hotel, drawing attention to the challenges faced by these vulnerable children.