U.S. Spent $13 Billion Sponsoring Unaccompanied Minor Children At The Border Since 2012 Adam Andrzejewki
Breaking news: Last year, the feds spent $2.7 billion – roughly $18,000 per unaccompanied child at the border. For context, the average cost of education in Texas K-12 schools was $9,800 per student.
The chaos on America’s southern border has had unintended consequence – a human catastrophe hurting tens of thousands of unaccompanied, defenseless children.
Despite generous taxpayer funding, the federal infrastructure to provide for these children and ensure their safety is woefully incompetent.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a part of the Administration for Children and Families, provides social services for unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Earlier this year the office came under fire for reports children were being placed with abusive “sponsors” and made to work full time in grueling conditions, violating child labor laws. An Inspector General report released in 2023 additionally criticized the agency for not conducting background checks on employees and contractors charged with caring for children.
Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com found that the agency spent $2.7 billion to “sponsor” unaccompanied minors – a staggering $18,000 per child. Roughly 150,000 unaccompanied minors were encountered at the southern border in fiscal year 2022.
However, today, reports indicate that up to 85,000 “sponsored” children are missing – their locations and whereabouts are not known.
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