Children crossing border alone create ‘urgent humanitarian situation’

Los Angeles Times, 06/03/14

A recent surge in the number of children who are detained while illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents is an “urgent humanitarian situation” that has prompted the opening of special facilities to house them in San Antonio and at the naval base in Port Hueneme, the Obama administration said Monday.

Although unaccompanied children have been crossing the Southwest border for years, a surge in the last year has overloaded Border Patrol stations and detention facilities along the border, particularly in south Texas.  Most of the children are from Central America, including Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

About 120 unaccompanied children are arriving each day, officials said.

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